- Date Of Birth: August 21, 1928
- Date Of Death: December 22, 2022
- State: Idaho
Don Allen Waddoups of Idaho Falls, passed away peacefully in his sleep Thursday, December 22, 2022, at the age of 94.
He was born August 21, 1928, in Moore, Idaho, to Royal Waddoups and Veta Jones Waddoups. He grew up on his family’s sheep and cattle ranch near Moore with his brothers: Dean, Fred, Max, Grant, Bob, Jerry, Wayne, and Clark; and his sisters, Olive and Carol. As there was no transportation to the elementary school in Moore, and his mother was concerned about him walking the two miles to school in the dead of winter, he was sent to live with relatives in Hopper, Utah, to attended first grade. The following year, transportation was provided, and he returned home. Don graduated from Arco High School in 1946.
After graduation, Don worked on his family ranch and aspired to be a racehorse jockey. He rode at tracks in Seattle and Las Vegas. In 1952, his brother, Bob, was drafted into the military. Since Bob was married with a baby on the way, Don agreed to serve in the military in his brother’s place.
Don started his engineering career with Philips Petroleum in 1958 at the Idaho Nuclear Engineering Laboratory. In 1972, he left Philips to work for a small startup company called Energy Incorporated where he stayed for the rest of his career.
Don wore many different hats during his lifetime, but the hat he loved most was a cowboy hat. Horses were always a part of his life. He often helped his brother, Bob, on the family ranch. Don also enjoyed team roping and cutting, the later he participated in well into his 80’s. He served two terms as president of the Idaho Cutting Horse Association.
Don was a good humored, kind, and generous man who was enthusiastically loyal to family and friends. We should all be so fortunate to live a life like his.
He is survived by his daughter, Jill Schaffer; son, Mark Waddoups; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
