Daniel Matson Tompkins passed away on Mar 23, 2021, at the age of 83, in his beloved adopted home state of Hawai'i. After graduating from Washington State University, Dan was commissioned into the Army and traveled the world. Along the way, he learned to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese, picked up two master's degrees, and lived in Korea, Taiwan, Okinawa, Vietnam, Iran, Japan, and Bosnia. In Korea, he fell in love with Kay; he was still in love with her, 58 years 2 months later, when he died. He saw the birth of his daughter Stefanie in Korea, and in Iran, son Eric arrived, along with a lifelong love of long distance running. Dan completed his first marathon there and went on to run many more around the globe. After the Army, he brought his military and marathon worlds together by founding the Windward Marathon and Half-Marathon, with routes crossing Hawai'i's Marine base and Kailua town. Additional careers as a running store owner and with the Defense Intelligence Agency kept him busy until he retired for good in Kailua. Dan lived by his lists, so here is one for him: (1) he always saw the best in people, and was incapable of holding a grudge; (2) he welcomed his children-in-law, Luke and Kerri, as if they were Tompkins-born; (3) he adored his grandchildren - Makayla, Matson, and Kai - and was himself adored by almost every child he met; (4) he loved all animals, most especially his last "little soldier", Saimin the long-haired dachshund; (5) he wished he could spend more time with his big brother Fred and Fred's wife Jan, and (6) he was trusted, respected, and will be missed by all who knew him. A private funeral service will be held at Punchbowl Cemetery later this year. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Hawai'i Autism Foundation (hawaiiautismfoundation.org) Arrangements Provided By: Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary
