Obituary of Charles David Lamoureux

Obituary Charles Lamoureux

Charles “Dave” Lamoureux passed away on January 4th, 2019, surrounded by his family. Dave will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 47 years, Barbara, his children: Claire Lamoureux Erlanger (Craig), Catherine Lamoureux Skochko (Zack), Suzanne Michelle Salgado (Tony), his eight grandchildren: Charlie, Emma, Maddie, Tessa, Nora, Shane, Luke, and Whitney, and his beloved dogs, Olive and Bear.

As the sixth of seven children of Albert and Jeanette Lamoureux, Dave was surrounded by activity, role models, and a French-Canadian family that valued God, hard work, and always had room to rescue a retired greyhound. Like his siblings, he worked various jobs throughout his childhood: a newspaper route and making deliveries for Cushman’s bakery were his favorites, and most assuredly the precept to his love of travel and doughnuts. During the summer, he cherished running around the sand flats at low tide on Cape Cod, an experience he would later introduce to his own children.

After high school, Dave attended Villanova University, and like his daughter who followed in his footsteps as a Wildcat too, he always said it was one of the wisest decisions of his life. He majored in Political Science, made many close friends and joined the Navy ROTC. After graduating in 1966, he was commissioned as a Naval officer and served three tours in Vietnam. Later in life, he remarked that his comrades in Vietnam were among the smartest, most committed people he ever worked with.

Upon return from war, Dave enrolled in law school at Boston College. He spent the school year in Boston and served in the Naval Reserves in Newport, Rhode Island on summer breaks. It was during one of these summers that his good friend Carl Smith introduced him to his sister-in-law, Barbara Condron-- and Dave found the yin to his yang. While he loved planning, research, and finding quiet time to read a book, Barbara was the exact opposite. He joked that without her, the rest of his life may have been well planned but would have never been filled with as much fun, friends, or laughter. They got married on July 10th, 1971. And the adventures began.

Dave and Barbara moved to the Washington, DC area where Dave continued to serve in the Naval Reserves and as an attorney for the Federal Government. They raised their three daughters, and a few rescue dogs, in Springfield, Virginia. Dave reveled in showing his children the world through travel. Visiting six of the seven continents himself, he took his family to destinations near and far to explore nature, as well as different cultures and perspectives. He meticulously researched each trip, aiming to find places to stay that were off the beaten path and featured unspoiled landscapes. The trips were filled with expected and unexpected events, some revealing conversations with locals and some unfortunate miscommunications with police, snorkeling with fish from the whole rainbow and a few surprise bites from sea creatures and a sneaky- man of- war, delicious food from roadside shacks and local bakeries, unidentified bugs in the night, boat trips and boat crashes, desolate pink beaches that went on for days, “mislabeled” French maps, sunsets fit for a postcard, and people from every walk of life. These memories and moments were experiences of a lifetime, the centerpiece of countless family conversations, and the highlights of his daughters’ childhoods.

After 20 years, Dave retired as a Commander from the Naval Reserves, and shortly thereafter, he retired from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) with 25 years in the Federal Government. As empty nesters, he and Barbara decided to see what retirement in warmer pastures would hold for them, and they moved to North Carolina. They lived in Bolivia and then Edenton, North Carolina for the next 15 years, made new friends and were active in the local church and community. Dave was also able to spend more time on his favorite pastime, photography. He photographed landscapes, sunsets, wildlife, and was always searching for the best candid shot of his family members, especially during his favorite time of the year- the family trip to the Outer Banks, a trip that started with three daughters but multiplied each year and culminated in a family of 16 (and three dogs)--all under one roof! Dave and Barbara loved North Carolina, but when Dave was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, they moved back to Northern Virginia to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

Dave will be remembered for his quiet dignity, thoughtful words, love of rescue dogs and travel, and his unwavering dedication to his family. While on a trip to Seoul, Korea in 1989, he wrote to his family, “I think of you all- all the time. You are a #1 family. I honestly have never seen anyone who can come close to you”. Well Dad, we know you are watching us from up above...and we want you to know, the feeling is mutual. We will miss you dearly.

Dave is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Jeanne Harrison. He is survived by his wife, children, and siblings: Robert Lamoureux, Denise Murtha, Roger Lamoureux, Bernard Lamoureux, and Suzanne Michelle Lamoureux.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 18th, 2019 at Adams- Green funeral home in Herndon, VA, visitation 10-11am, memorial service at 11am. Interment will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Virginia Greyhound Adoption: http://www.virginiagreyhounds.org/ .