Donald Dean Rowland went home to be with the Lord on November 21, 2025. He was a devoted husband, father, and friend to many, and lived his life by the West Point Motto: Duty, Honor, Country.

Don was born June 29, 1934, in Canton, Ohio, and, with his brother Fredrick (Fred), spent the majority of his early life in Wyandotte, Michigan. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1952 and from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1957. That same year, he married his high school sweetheart, Catherine "Kay" Griffith.

Don always wanted to be a pilot and therefore chose to join the US Air Force after graduation from West Point. Don and Kay were first stationed at Moore Air Base in Texas, where Don attended flight training, then moved to Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma, McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, and then Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, where they had their first two children, Douglas Dean and Susan Knight. The family then moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Don received his Master's Degree in Mathematics from the University of Michigan.

After Michigan, they were stationed at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Don taught mathematics to cadets from 1966 to 1970. While at the Academy, they had their third child, Sarah Catherine.

They moved to George Air Force Base in California, where Don trained on the F-4 Phantom in preparation for service in the Vietnam War. The family then returned to the Air Force Academy during Don's service in Vietnam. During his deployment there, Don flew many combat flying missions and served as Chief of the Operations Planning Division, overseeing the flawless redeployment of 24 aircraft from Southeast Asia.

Following the war, the family moved four more times. At Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, Don was the Test Evaluation Analysis Officer focusing on a new air/photo reconnaissance drone. Then, at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, Don served as Commandant of the NCO Strategic Air Command military school for enlisted personnel. Under his leadership, the school staff received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Then, at Yokota Air Force Base in Japan, he served as the Reconnaissance Division Chief, coordinating sensitive peacetime schedules for the Army, Navy, and Air Force operations throughout the Western Pacific. In 1980, the family was last stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, with Don and Kay making Lompoc their permanent home.

In 1981, Don retired from the Air Force after 28 years of distinguished service, including his time at West Point, earning the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and multiple honors including a Bronze Star, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with three stars, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.

He then transitioned to civilian work at Lockheed as a Payload Integration Engineer for the space program before eventually settling into full retirement, dedicating his time to board membership and community service. He taught mathematics at Allan Hancock College and tutored countless Cabrillo High School students. He was also elected to the Vandenberg Village Water District Board and served on the Santa Barbara County Assessment Appeals Board until he was 90.

Don was deeply engaged in his community throughout his life. A longtime Rotary member, he served as President, demonstrating his commitment to service and leadership. He was an active member of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Orcutt, where his lifelong faith in the Lord was a cornerstone of his life. Music and culture also held a special place in his heart; for example, he was a patron member of the Basin Street Regulars Pismo Jazz. Don enjoyed staying active through golf, tennis, and fly fishing for many years, and he cherished the friendships he nurtured along the way. His life was marked by devotion—to faith, to family, to his country, to community, and to the many friends who enriched his journey.

Don is survived by his three adult children: Douglas Dean (JoAnn), Susan Knight (Philip Salucci), and Sarah Catherine (Thomas Butler); grandchildren Luke Joseph Bishop (Alisha), Philip James Salucci, Wyatt Clark Bishop (Mackenzie), Jeffery Dean Salucci, Joel Christian Bishop, Daniel Dean Rowland, and David Joseph Rowland; step grandchildren Tyler Jack Butler, Danielle Ray Butler, and Mitchell Theodore Butler; great grandchildren, Gary Emerson Bishop, Hank Clark Bishop and Kirk Theodore Bishop, and many more nieces and nephews. Don was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 66 years, Kay, his parents, Paul Irvin Rowland, Helen Shisler Rowland, and his brother Frederick Rowland.

A celebration of life will be held on January 3, 2026, at Lutheran Church of Our Savior, 4725 South Bradley Road, Orcutt, California, at 1 pm.  A reception will follow at the church. Don and Kay will be interred at West Point. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to VNA Health Foundation (Hospice), 509 E. Montecito Street, Suite 200, Santa Barbara, CA 93103