JAMES DANIEL MAUPIN

James Daniel (Dan) Maupin was born on September 22, 1946, and passed away in his
home on March 27, 2024, with his beloved wife, Teresa Jones Maupin, by his side. Dan
was a lifelong resident of the Antelope Valley, where, impervious to the unceasing winds
and sauna-like conditions, he built with his own two hands a loving home for his family
and a launching pad for his numerous adventures and hobbies.

Dan was born to James Ralph (Jim) Maupin and Edith Marie Maupin, teenage
sweethearts who eloped to Yuma, AZ, in 1944 in Jim’s father’s Model T truck. Two
years later, they welcomed Dan into their family, and two years after that, Dan’s baby
sister, Darleen. The family settled in an agricultural area of Lancaster locally called
“Okie Flats.” There, they raised horses, mules, cows, bulls, all sorts of birds, and their
beloved dogs. Dan had a truly free-range childhood. He and his lifelong friend, Tom
Peterson, tore through the desert on horseback and motorcycles. They and their dogs
chased jackrabbits, built forts in the desert, and generally got into all kinds of trouble.

Dan and Darleen attended Antelope Valley Adventist School and then completed their
high school education at Thunderbird Adventist Academy in Scottsdale, AZ. Dan
developed dear friendships at Thunderbird with many fellow kids who joined him in
numerous hijinks and shenanigans. From there, Dan studied at La Sierra University in
Loma Linda, CA, before being drafted into the US Army in 1969. Dan always said that
boarding school was an excellent preparation for military life — you learned to follow the
rules, but you also learned to get away with just enough to have fun.

Following boot camp and basic training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Dan was a
medic stationed at Da Nang Air Base in Vietnam. He served his country with courage
and honor by treating wounded soldiers at the base hospital, driving ambulances
through hostile territory, and flying into combat in a Huey helicopter as part of a
medevac team. When he had free time, he could be found at the mechanic’s shop,
working on broken down Jeeps or Ford Ambulances or lounging in the shade reading
anything from classic Greek literature to pulpy mystery novels. His time in Vietnam was
short when viewed through the scope of his lifetime, but it had an impact that shaped
his entire life. His thoughts never strayed from the many men who arrived with him but
were not so fortunate to leave with him.

Upon his return, he worked with his father, Jim Maupin, in their trucking business,
“Maupin & Son Trucking,” hauling alfalfa from the fields of the Antelope Valley to
destinations around Southern California.

In 1974, Dan fell instantly and deeply in love with Teresa Jones, the daughter of the new
pastor at Lancaster Seventh Day Adventist Church. He turned on the charm and wooed
her until she agreed to marry him on November 20, 1977. They purchased a parcel of
land on the former Provenzano Ranch, where Dan built them a beautiful custom home.
In 1982, they had their first child, Marisa Sabina, and in 1984, they welcomed Brandon
Daniel. Dan introduced Teresa to his love of horses, animal husbandry, motorcycles,
and camping, and he even brought home a pair of orphaned coyote pups that they
raised as pets.

In 1983, Dan bought a 1959 GMC passenger bus, converted it to a motorhome, and
took his family camping all over the West. He was an avid motorcycle rider, and with
various friends, including his brother-in-law and best friend, Larry Bender, he traveled all
over the deserts of California, exploring abandoned mines and ghost towns and
camping under the stars. Just two months ago, Dan and Larry rediscovered some caves
in Shoshone, CA, where they’d once found shelter during a storm in the 1980s.

Dan worked for nearly thirty years as a general building contractor. He was the sole
proprietor of Maupin Custom Homes and Antelope Valley Remodeling, where he
specialized in remodeling and additions. Over the decades, he left his mark on
countless homes, businesses, and places of worship in and around the Antelope Valley.
At different periods, he was a member of the AV Kiwanis Club and The Lancaster
Chamber of Commerce.

Dan was a man of many hobbies. His family referred to him as a walking encyclopedia
because of his vast knowledge of both familiar and unfamiliar subjects. Anyone who
knows Dan knows of his love of old cars and his various car projects, including his
Hudson, his Model T, the Model A he purchased in college, and the Harley Sportster he
bought in 1965 as a graduation present for himself. Reading was another passion of
Dan’s. He read everything from Dostoyevsky to Michener, Aristotle to Connelly, and
might even have plodded through this lengthy obituary. If Dan wasn’t working on a car
or talking to a friend on the phone, he was reading a book.

Dan also had, of all things, a deep love of cats. His children report their bewilderment at
this, as Dan denied them cats during their childhood because of his allergies. However,
a remarkable tabby cat named Skippy came into Dan’s life in 2000, and from that point
on, love cured his allergies. At the time of his death, he had four cats, and at many
points during the day, he could be found in his easy chair, with all four sleeping atop him
while he read his Kindle.

In the final years of his life, he and Teresa purchased a travel trailer and traveled
throughout the Southwest, visiting New Mexico, Arizona, and California. They had a full
schedule of trips planned for 2024, which Dan was looking forward to.

A consequence of his service in Vietnam was prolonged exposure to Agent Orange and
a subsequent diagnosis of diabetes at age 28. The diagnosis had a massive impact on
his life and health. He bore the consequences with quiet courage. Diabetes weakened
his vascular system, and Dan suffered his first heart attack at age 53. Over the years, a
brilliant team of medical experts supported him through a variety of near-death health
crises. Dan enjoyed the bafflement of his doctors as he passed 60 years old, then 70,
and then 75, despite his various diagnoses and ailments.

Dan died of heart failure in his beloved home, on the very foundation he poured for the
love of his life and their children. He is survived by his family, wife Teresa Maupin;
daughter Marisa Maupin Blewett and her husband, Nicholas Blewett; son Brandon

Maupin and his wife, Gabrielle D’Ottaviano Maupin, and granddaughter, Vivienne Grace
Maupin.