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<p><em>Daniel Winston “Dan” Wick</em> was a third-generation American, born in River Falls, WI on August 15, 1940. His parents, Theodora and Clarence, were of Norwegian and Danish descent. As he was born in a time of war, Dan was given the middle name Winston to honor Winston Churchill’s courage and strength in the face of adversity. Dan’s father died when he was a baby, leaving his mother to care for five children on her own. </p>
<p>Dan’s family moved to California when he was young. He grew up mostly in Fresno, where he graduated from high school in 1957. Dan was appointed to the United States Military Academy and entered with the West Point Class of 1962 in July 1958. Living under a strict military code in the Hudson Valley represented both a great challenge and opportunity. Dan rose to the occasion during this time in every sense of the word. He would regularly reflect on how grateful he was for his path of service at West Point and would go on to anchor his family with the values he learned and practiced there. </p>
<p>Upon graduation on June 6, 1962, Dan was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. His first assignment after graduation was to attend graduate school at the University of Southern California (USC). This is where he earned a Master of Science in aerospace engineering in 1964, which he would soon put into practice. </p>
<p>His first assignment in the Air Force was with the Space and Missile Systems Organization (which later became the Space Division, Air Force Systems Command), 1964-66. Dan would travel to launch sites in the Pacific to test rocket and vehicle systems that would serve as early prototypes to the Space Shuttle. Subsequently, he earned another degree from USC, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering in 1966.</p>
<p>It was during this time that Dan met the love of his life, Kay Carol Mikelson, in Redondo Beach, CA. They began a whirlwind romance that would lead to their nuptials on December 30, 1966. Shortly thereafter, the two moved to Colorado Springs, CO. There, Dan joined the staff and faculty of the United States Air Force Academy, where he taught mathematics and aeronautics. Not yet done with schooling himself, Dan also received his Master of Business Administration in 1968 from the University of Colorado. Soon afterward, Dan and Kay welcomed their daughter, Wendy Kay Wick, into the world. He then shifted his focus toward civilian life and resigned from the Air Force as a captain in 1968.</p>
<p>Dan then embarked on a successful career working for a number of entities that supported the U.S. Air Force. His initial position was with Hughes Aircraft as a sales manager. There, he had the opportunity to travel domestically and globally. It was during this time that Dan and Kay welcomed their son, Brandon Daniel Wick.</p>
<p>Dan would further his sales and marketing career with companies like Tektronix, Mentor Graphics, and Context Corporation selling electronic design automation (EDA) technology that underpins much of the digital economy and society today.</p>
<p>The Wick family moved to Lake Oswego, OR in 1980 and would remain there through high school and college for the kids, producing graduates from the University of Oregon, and igniting a lifelong passion for the Oregon Ducks, which only rivaled but never surpassed his love for the Army Black Knights. </p>
<p>At the end of his career, Dan worked in real estate, taught mathematics at a community college, and had one more short stint in the EDA sector with Cascade Design Automation before retiring in 1997. </p>
<p>Dan and Kay cultivated and nurtured a rich family life. Their love story was rare and admired by many. They traveled widely, living abroad for a time in Mexico. It was always clear that their priority was creating loving experiences with their children and grandchildren. Dan and Kay moved many times during their long marriage and enjoyed fixing up the houses they lived in. With each move, one thing remained the same. Dan and Kay always created a home rich with expansive love, beauty, and gratitude. Many deep and enduring relationships were forged through the years with lovely, lifelong friends in California, Colorado, Oregon and beyond.</p>
<p>Dan was heartbroken by his wife Kay’s sudden passing after 55 years of marriage in October 2021. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings William, Carol, and Richard. He is survived by his sister Ruth, daughter Wendy, son Brandon, and his grandchildren: Greta Gummer (24), Beck Gummer (19), and Amelia Wick (13). </p>
<p>After months of health challenges amplified by heartbreak, Dan passed away in his sleep from pulmonary fibrosis on July 23, 2023. He had enjoyed recent visits from family and friends both near and far and was ready to return to God’s eternal grace. Dan felt deeply that he lived a truly blessed life and was so grateful for everything that life had to offer. One of Dan’s many enduring legacies is the way he centered gratitude in all his words and actions. He held his time at West Point in the very highest regard. Dan aimed at living his life in a manner that honored the ideals and traditions of the Long Gray Line. </p>
<p>A combined memorial service was held for Dan and Kay at the West Point Cemetery on November 22, 2023.</p>
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