Earl Gilfillan Hagadorn Jr.
April 30, 1929 – August 24, 2018
Our Dad- poet, philosopher, artist and eternal optimist- Earl Gilfillan Hagadorn Jr., 89, surprised his family and passed unexpectedly in his home on August 24th, 2018. We probably shouldn’t have been surprised though because he’d recently reminded us that he wouldn’t be going anywhere until Mom hollered. Apparently she hollered and Dad never could resist Mom. To Mom, we’d like to say, couldn’t you have waited just a little longer?
At the time of his passing Dad was looking forward to spending a warm Christmas in Mexico and had recently returned from one of his frequent trips to Tahoe where he always enjoyed a good jacuzzi soak on a cold morning- with or without coffee in hand.
Celebrating his reunion are many family and friends who predeceased him. In addition to his bride of 59 years, R. Louise (Pinkerton) Hagadorn, he also joins his daughter Heidi Sue Hagadorn, parents Earl Gilfillan Sr. and Ethel Mae (Crowell) Hagadorn and siblings John Hagadorn, Alice Wisner, and Ruth Barrett. No doubt they’re causing quite a ruckus!
Earl was the youngest of four children, born April 30, 1929 in El Paso, Texas. He grew up in Long Beach and Orange, CA where he was lucky enough to be home schooled by his Mom, thus allowing him many fine days spent body surfing at the beach rather than sitting in a classroom (an example we could not coerce our own Mom into following). When he later tested into public school to join his peers he was advanced a grade much to his own bemusement. He was a proud graduate of Stanford, class of ’57, after voluntarily interrupting his studies to serve 4 years as an Army Intelligence Officer during the Korean War.
He met his wife Louise Pinkerton in Palo Alto on a blind date and after a whirlwind romance he promptly disappeared and started dating other women just to be sure she was ‘the one’. In 1957 she married him anyway. Although an Eagle Scout, he happily became a card carrying Girl Scout upon marrying Mom and having only daughters.
Earl and Louise loved the mountains and chose to raise their family in Lake Tahoe where they resided until 2015 when they moved to Sacramento. Dad was a well known civil engineer whose professional career spanned 60 years. He was a member of the United Church of Christ since 1961 and of the Squaw Valley United Church of Christ since 1966. He was also instrumental in its reopening in the 1990’s and served the church in many capacities.
Left to celebrate his life and carry on his legacy are his daughters and their spouses, Kelly and Rob Allen, Susan and Charles (Jay) Johnson, Jennifer and Dave Schiessl, and Amy Hagadorn and Presence Brandt. He is also survived by his much loved seven grandchildren, Jamie, Charlie, and Heidi Johnson, Brad and Leslie (Faust) Allen, David and Emily (Ketterman) Schiessl, and by six great-grandchildren, Molly and Joseph Ketterman, Cooper and Grayson Faust, Nolan and Violet Allen. He also leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and dear friends, all of whom are asked to raise a toast (may we suggest a margarita or stout Guinness) in his honor.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Squaw Valley Chapel United Church of Christ, PO Box 2472, Olympic Valley, CA 96146-2472, Amnesty International or your favorite Girl Scout Council.
A celebration of Earl’s life will be held 10:30am, Saturday, October 20th, 2018 at the Squaw Valley Chapel in Olympic Valley.
