Obituary of Donald James Deda

Commander Donald James Deda, USN Ret, 78, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 in Sterling, Virginia after living for 20 years with Parkinson's disease. Don was born March 30, 1944 in Superior, Wisconsin, the son of the late Donald Kott Deda and Mary Bernadine Haughey .

He is survived by his daughters Joanne (Mike), Karen (Norm), Barbara (Greg); former wife Kathy; his 4 grandchildren (Nicholas, Jessica, Norman and Sadie); his siblings David, Mary and Roy; and many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Don was raised in Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin. An Eagle Scout, Don loved boy scouting and had fond memories of his years working as a Boy Scout camp counselor. He attended Notre Dame University on an ROTC scholarship. After his commissioning to the United States Navy, Don continued at Notre Dame to earn a Master’s Degree in International Relations.

He served in the USN on both land and sea for 23 years. A love of the water was featured in his interests throughout his life — from lifeguarding as a teenager and his years on the ocean with the Navy to his love of sailing his boat Champagne Lady on the Chesapeake Bay and kayaking and enjoying time on the water at his family's cabin on a lake in northern Wisconsin. Don loved dogs — from his first dog which he brought home from Boy Scout camp to his 4 golden retrievers. He also loved traveling and was able to see much of the world. 

A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 22 at 11:00 am at Adams-Green Funeral home, 721 Eldon Street, Herndon, Virginia. 

Instead of flowers the family would appreciate donations to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research online at Make a Donation | Parkinson's Disease (michaeljfox.org). 

The family also asks that you consider participating in the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Progression Markers (PPMI) Initiative. This study needs participants with and without Parkinson's disease and with and without a family history of Parkinson's disease. The initiative follows people through time to learn about how the disease starts and progresses. You can help advance research to improve treatment of Parkinson's disease. For more information visit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research online at PPMI: The Study that Could Change Everything | Parkinson's Disease (michaeljfox.org)