Enfield, N.H. —
He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Mari; daughters, Diana (Moody) Summers of Covington, Ga. and Linda (Tony) Miller of Charlotte, N.C.; son, David Dawley of Morgantown, W.Va.; grandchildren, Allison and Daniel Dawley of Morgantown, and Grant Summers of Covington, Ga. Dan is also survived by his sisters, Terry Nelson of Virginia Beach, Va., Muriel Musto of Haines City, Fla., Lillian (Dan) Jedson of Haines City, Fla., Anne Savage of Virginia Beach, Va.; brother, Bob (Kathy) Dawley of St. Cloud, Fla.; father-in-law, Roger Haadsma of Rockford, Mich.; brother-in-law, James (Luanne) Haadsma of Croton, Mich.; sisters-in-law, Luanne (Larry) Dewey of Indianapolis, Ind., and Gail Sherry of Garrison, N.Y. He was a cherished uncle to many, many nieces and nephews. Dan was predeceased by his parents; mother-in-law, Patricia Haadsma; sisters, Eileen Drew and Claire Fournier; brothers Harold, Fred, and Richard Dawley; and brothers-in-law, John Musto, Herbert Nelson, Nick Savage, and Bill Sherry.
Dan will be remembered for his generosity, compassion, quick wit, and keen intellect. He loved cooking for family and friends and was happiest when his table was full of guests sharing laughter, good food, and wine. He enjoyed collecting wine, which led to Dan and Mari visiting wineries with wine club friends in their various travels.
Dan had a lifelong interest in firefighting which began as a young boy in Hope, R.I. As a junior fire chief, at the age of 12 he once led a crew of other boys for three days on the front lines of a forest fire. Dan held a pilot’s license and was instrument rated. He also was an avid boater and with Mari navigated the 6,000 mile Great Loop which encompasses rivers and waterways in the eastern United States. Dan loved their farm and particularly enjoyed working the fields on his tractor. He had a special place in his heart for animals, especially those waiting to be adopted.
Dan was known for his meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of his life from menu planning to home and garden design. He was respected for his mechanical aptitude, particularly his ability to diagnose and repair various systems and equipment. Post high school, Dan apprenticed as a machinist for two years before starting college. Dan received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Indiana Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in automotive engineering from Chrysler Institute of Technology where he was a calculus and machine shop instructor as well as professional engineer certification instructor. His engineering career included positions at Chrysler, GE, Admiral, and Rheem. One of his proudest accomplishments was, as President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, building Revco Scientific from a small manufacturer to a global leader in the medical equipment field.
Dan will be deeply missed by all who loved him. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dan’s memory to the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society [www.lucymac.org/donate] or the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation [www.firehero.org/donate].
The family is planning a Celebration of Life to be held at a later date.
An online guest book is available to leave a message of condolence for Dan’s family by visiting www.rickerfuneralhome.com.