Paul Dugan

Paul Morgan Dugan, 86, passed away peacefully, surrounded by those who loved him, on Sunday evening, August 10, 2008. Paul is survived by his wife of 62 years, Colette Walsh Dugan, and seven children: Mary Anne Dugan, Mike Dugan, Pat Dugan, Eileen Dugan Waldschmidt and husband Mike, John Dugan and his wife Michele Martell, David Dugan and his wife Maggi, Cathy Dugan Majerus and husband Pat, 15 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Paul grew up in Chicago and attended Leo High School. After working briefly for the Illinois Central Railroad, where his father Frank had spent his career, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served in San Antonio, Texas, and later enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin. He then transferred to the University of New Mexico where he completed his engineering degree. While there, he happened to run into a girl he had dated in Chicago, Colette Walsh. They reunited and were married in December, 1945. Paul had a distinguished career as a mechanical engineer at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, Aerojet in California and starting in 1958, at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. After 30 years of service, he retired in 1988. Among his many interests and talents, Paul was a radio controlled model airplane enthusiast and a ham radio operator. As a teenager he built himself a go-cart, using an old washing machine motor and machining and fabricating any parts he was unable to find. Any gadget or toy that needed fixing, any project that needed building, he was up for the task and in the process displayed a pride in workmanship that was passed on to his children. He was an active member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church and loved living in Los Alamos. His many friends knew him as a man who placed honesty and integrity above all else, and he was seen as a role model by friends and family alike. Pauls humor and charm endeared him to everyone who knew him, including his nurses who considered him their favorite patient. His compassion for family and concern for others was paramount throughout his life. Paul will be deeply missed by his family and friends. There will be a Rosary ceremony Wednesday at 7 pm, with a Mass Thursday at 11 am, with all services held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Donations may be made to Christian Concern Committee, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church or to the New Mexico Autism Society.