Joe Apalategui

Humberto Joseph “Joe” Apalategui died peacefully at home on Wednesday, October 21, 2020, days after his 88th birthday.
Joe and his wife, Betty, have been longtime residents of Hillsboro and Mountaindale, Oregon. The family previously lived for years in Yorba Linda, California.
Joe was born on October 17, 1932, in Sonora, Mexico, to Jesus and Julia (Parada) Apalategui. At that time, the family was in a long process of immigrating to the United States, and Joe became a U.S. citizen as a boy.
After high school he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was a corporal in the infantry and saw combat during the Korean War.
Joe used the G.I. Bill to attend college, graduating with a degree in mathematics from California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly) in 1959.
He met his wife, Betty, while they worked in the technology sector in Southern California. They were married on December 10, 1960 and raised three sons.
Joe worked the majority of his career as a software engineer in the technology and aeronautics sectors in California and Oregon. He was a manager at Tektronix in Beaverton for years.
He and Betty later owned and operated a small business until their retirement.
Joe was the ultimate family man and was deeply involved in his sons’ interests, including Little League, soccer and Scouts. He was at his happiest when he was helping his family and friends. He and Betty enjoyed playing duplicate bridge (bronze life master) and pursuing other hobbies together.
Joe was a passionate gardener and turned his suburban Hillsboro lot into a lush oasis with figs, plums, blueberries, grapes, and many other fruits and vegetables. His prize was an apple tree that grows 13 varieties of apples through his grafting. In later years he was active with the Home Orchard Society.
Joe also was a lifelong outdoorsman who loved fishing, hiking, and other outside adventures.
He enjoyed traveling, whether long road trips across the United States with the family or overseas vacations with Betty. Since retirement they have been to Africa, New Zealand, and most recently to Europe, where for the first time he saw the Basque Country of Spain, homeland of his grandfather.
He is survived by his wife, Betty, of Hillsboro; three sons, Adam and wife Natalia of Las Vegas, Nevada, Eric and wife Karen of Beaverton, Oregon, and David of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; two grandchildren, Brooke and Joseph “Joe” Apalategui of Beaverton; a sister, Dolores “Lolly” Melendez of Chino Hills, California; two brothers, Richard and wife Dottie of Page, Arizona, and Ruben and wife Kathy of Las Vegas, Nevada; a very close niece, Jacque (Apalategui) Dodds and family of Salem, Oregon; in addition to many other nieces, nephews, and other relatives.
He was preceded in death by a newborn daughter, Karen Julia.
A private family service is being planned and Joe’s ashes will be interred at Willamette National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to either the Home Orchard Society or Disabled American Veterans.
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