Donald Duane Dammen

Donald D. Dammen was born on May 1, 1945, in Mason City, Iowa, to Kenneth Dammen and Margaret née Wolfram. His early childhood was shaped in nearby Clear Lake, a resort town surrounded by farmland. The lake oﬀered Huck Finn-type adventures while the surrounding farmland taught him the value of hard work. After spending his formative years in Iowa, Don's family moved multiple times before settling in a northwest suburb of Chicago in the early 60s. Of college age, Don opted for the rigorous College of Engineering at Valparaiso University in Indiana. After his mother called one day to let him know their pastor's daughter, who also attended Valpo, was homesick, Don agreed to oﬀer her a ride home. That was the first of many rides that culminated in his 57-year marriage to his wife, Pamela Grotheer. In 1968, Don's education was interrupted by the call to serve his country. Drafted into the army during the Vietnam War, he was sent to the Bien Hoa airbase as a processing specialist. Upon completing his tour of duty, he went back to Valpo and his new wife to complete his degree in Mechanical Engineering. Don was oﬀered a job designing sprinkler systems for a local fire protection firm in 1972. This was the first step in his long and storied career in that field. After obtaining his Professional Engineering License, he accepted a job with a company that oﬀered broader training in various aspects of fire protection. Soon after, he was transferred to San Francisco, where he eventually formed his own company and was awarded contacts as far away as Saudi Arabia. San Francisco and Novato, where Don resided for 46 years, remained the main focus of his work. He "walked steel" to survey high rises and could recall which direction the doors opened in every a major building in the City Don spent many hours plan-checking work at the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection. He opinions could be trusted for accuracy, honesty, and reliability. At 80 years of age, Don was the oldest, practicing fire protection engineer in the State of California until a recent illness ended the career he loved so. Don enjoyed the outdoors. His 1985 VW camper tracked countless miles along the California coast and holds a lifetime of family memories. He took the children snake hunting and supervised the building of an evolving tree fort that eventually stretched three stories high. His other joy was restoring the 1912 family home in the Mount Prospect, IL, where he and Pam delighted in being third-generation stewards. Above all, Don was a man of deep faith, which informed both his personal and professional relationships. He was a blessing to his devoted family, whom he led by example. No sacrifice was too great for the people he loved. A man of boundless energy who prioritized service, Don's life was illustrative of Acts 20:35: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Don is survived by Pam and their three children: Nikolaus (Taija), Christina (Matthew), and Stefan (Claudia) Dammen as well as five grandchildren, Dominik and Elise Dammen, Eleanora Hittle, and Isabel and Markus Dammen, Don also leaves two sisters, Barbara Eilers and Susan Broderick, and various nieces and nephews for whom his antics are legendary. When Don was called to his heavenly home on December 19, 2025, he was surrounded by his family, who will be forever grateful for his strength, virtue, and charity. May his memory be eternal! A Requiem Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 27, 2025 at St. Peter's Parish, 6013 Lawton Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618. Kindly direct any memorials to the parish elevator project. The committal will be at St. Paul's Cemetery, 101 N. Elmhurst Ave., Mount Prospect, IL 60056 at a future date.

Donald Duane Dammen

May 1, 1945 - December 19, 2025