April 10, 1939 - June 11, 2012
Dominic Chircop, who loved the peace and tranquility of Central Oregon, died at his home in La Pine on June 11. He was 73.
Dominic was born in Mosta, Malta on April 10, 1939. On the eve of his third birthday, his hometown
was the scene of a miracle. At The Rotunda of St. Marija Assunta, the Roman Catholic church where he was baptized, a Luftwaffe bomb pierced the churchs dome. It skidded across the marble floor of the sanctuary where 300 parishioners were gathered for evening mass. The bomb did not explode.
Dominics family moved to San Francisco when he was 12. He lost his accent within a few years and quickly became a typical American teenager who enjoyed listening to Fats Domino albums, and spending hours in the library flipping through hardbound editions of Fortune magazine featuring photographs of the latest military aircraft.
Dominic joined the United States Air Force weeks after turning 18. He saw much of the country and the world and was stationed at bases in Korea and Guam among other places. After serving in the military, Dominic joined the International Association of Machinists union and was hired by Sears Roebuck and Co. He worked for the companys service repair division in San Francisco and Santa Cruz, Calif. for 36 years until he retired.
Dominic enjoyed working on his property in La Pine, tending to his houseplants and photographing
wildflowers and the great landscapes of Central Oregon. He was a volunteer for St. Vincent De Paul in La Pine for more than 10 years, and found great joy spending weekends among the seas of sagebrush and alfalfa fields of Christmas Valley.
He is survived by his daughter, Rachelle and her husband, Tony Steen of Scotts Valley, CA; son, David and his wife, Camilla Chircop of Albany, CA; twin brother James Chircop of AZ; and younger brother, Alfred Chircop and his wife, Maureen Burns of Sonoma CA; grandson, Tanner Steen; nieces and a nephew.
A memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Those who wish to make contributions in his memory may do so with:
Society of St. Vincent de Paul of La Pine, PO Box 1008, La Pine, OR 97739
Baird Memorial Chapel was honored to serve the family.
Dominic Chircop