Gregory Joseph Dandurand

It is with heavy heart and profound sadness that we mark the passing of Gregory Joseph Dandurand on Sunday August 17, 2025, after a long illness. A life well lived has passion and purpose, and Greg embodied those qualities and more.

Born June 4, 1965, at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, Greg enjoyed the undivided attention of his parents and grandparents as the first born, then seamlessly assumed the role of the oldest brother, assisting with potty training and “disciplining” his two younger brothers as he saw fit. Growing up, Greg shared his father’s interests in all things mechanical, including fixing and upgrading bicycles, dirt bikes, and other on and off-road vehicles.

Greg’s patriotism led him to enlist in the US Air Force, where he served first on the flight line for F-111 fighter jets and ultimately in the cockpit of a C-130 transport aircraft as a Flight Engineer. It was in the Air Force where Greg developed lifelong friendships and realized a passion for aviation which would define his professional career.

After leaving the service, Greg joined International Air Response, which employed C-130s in the service of fighting forest fires globally. This took him to France and Spain, where he took great pride in servicing and repairing the aircraft he flew. An avid Harley rider, Greg was able to bring his bike with him to France on several occasions and was a member of the Wakan-Tanka Motorcycle Club in Cavaillon, France. When Greg left the cockpit, he joined Air Transport Components, which specializes in the repair and overhaul of components for both commercial and military aircraft. During his 20-year tenure there, Greg progressed to senior inspector, ensuring that every part which left the facility was ready for installation, with no issues for safety or performance.

In his spare time Greg volunteered, quietly and consistently, with his local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. For more than two decades, most recently as a crew leader, Greg gave his time to offer a hand up to those seeking a better life and a decent home for their families. Greg also became an expert in another passion of his, pyrotechnics, with the emphasis on “pyro.” A longtime member of the Western Pyrotechnic Association, Greg served alternately as its Vice President and President. He looked forward to the annual WPA events where he was able to “go out into the desert and blow shit up.” Greg had a side gig as Head Pyro for Firework Productions of Arizona and coordinated a multitude of pyrotechnic shows throughout the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Greg was a proud member of the Central Arizona Tall Society, where he met his longtime partner, Beth. Greg and Beth enjoyed camping and participating in many other social activities with Tall Club.

Always the first to offer a hand to friends and family, Greg could make a room groan with a well-crafted pun, and his biannual Christmas cards were highly anticipated and vigorously debated. Greg had a knack for bringing you into every story he told. His kind heart and gentle soul will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him.

Greg is survived by his longtime partner and beloved companion, Elizabeth Gouwens, mother Beverly Richardsen and her husband Gareth Richardsen, brothers Michael and Mathieu, Aunt Joan Burton and Uncle Robert Burton, nephew Aaron, nieces Alana and Sofia, and many loving cousins, close family, and good friends. He was predeceased by his father, Gary. Please keep Greg in your heart by considering a donation to the Central Arizona chapter of Habitat for Humanity (habitatcaz.org) or the Western Pyrotechnics Association (westernpyro.org) in his honor.