Donald Charles Bullock, age 86 of Emerald Lake Hills, CA, passed away on February 5th, 2023. Born in Concord, NH on January 22, 1937, the middle child of Arthur and Ruth (Lindquist) Bullock, he grew up in Bow, NH. He graduated from Concord High School where he ran cross country and spent his summers lifeguarding at Bear Brook State Park. As a teenager, he began his love of water and started New Hampshire's first scuba diving supply company with a childhood friend in 1951. He studied mechanical engineering and graduated from the University of New Hampshire. At UNH he became Commodore of the sailing team and sailing became a lifelong passion.
After college, his focus on the water continued thru his clean drinking water projects during his time in the Peace Corps in Bolivia where he was director of a leper colony. It was there he met fellow Peace Corp member and nurse Linda Nicolaides and was married. Their story and work were featured in Redbook Magazine in 1966. They moved to the San Francisco Bay area and raised a daughter and spent time sailing the San Francisco Bay. After divorcing he went on to work and research desalination using reverse osmosis throughout the Caribbean and founded the International Institute for Water Purification commissioned by the government of the Cayman Islands. He was an inventor at heart, having obtained patents and trademarks on several intellectual properties including a collapsible dinghy under the tradename Bow Boats. He was the focus of media attention when he was lost at sea in 1984 and spent nine days alone and adrift a capsized trimaran. He did a second stint in the Peace Corps in the Philippines in his late 50s. He retired and lived on a boat in Florida in later years. He developed a rare amnestic brain disorder and later dementia requiring him to live on land again in assisted living for the remainder of his life.
After college, his focus on the water continued thru his clean drinking water projects during his time in the Peace Corps in Bolivia where he was director of a leper colony. It was there he met fellow Peace Corp member and nurse Linda Nicolaides and was married. Their story and work were featured in Redbook Magazine in 1966. They moved to the San Francisco Bay area and raised a daughter and spent time sailing the San Francisco Bay. After divorcing he went on to work and research desalination using reverse osmosis throughout the Caribbean and founded the International Institute for Water Purification commissioned by the government of the Cayman Islands. He was an inventor at heart, having obtained patents and trademarks on several intellectual properties including a collapsible dinghy under the tradename Bow Boats. He was the focus of media attention when he was lost at sea in 1984 and spent nine days alone and adrift a capsized trimaran. He did a second stint in the Peace Corps in the Philippines in his late 50s. He retired and lived on a boat in Florida in later years. He developed a rare amnestic brain disorder and later dementia requiring him to live on land again in assisted living for the remainder of his life.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers Gary Bullock and recently his sister Esther Eddy. He is survived by his daughter Kim Bullock-Utrata and son-in-law Petr Utrata of Half Moon Bay California. He also leaves two grandchildren Alina Utrata and Anna Utrata who brought him great joy as well as nieces and nephews and numerous great nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.
The family would like to thank Donald’s many caregivers over the years, Lakeview Lodge, and Dr. Davie Jones, for their excellent care.
Internment will be in Evans cemetery in Bow, NH at a later date.
Anyone wishing to express their sympathy may leave a message on the website below, or consider making a donation to any charity that supports clean drinking water or preservations of the oceans (ex. Surfrider or Plastic Oceans) or National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI).
