My memories of Uncle Dan

Recently Uncle Danny passed away and so I wanted to post a few of my memories of him.  My earliest memory is of when he lived with us in the old farmhouse. He stayed there for awhile after he graduated.  I must have been a toddler, but I recall having a bad dream where there was a gorilla in the bedroom (hey, I was a kid and kids have weird dreams).  He settled me down and told me that it was just a dream that there was no gorilla in the room.

He started down his path with a LaSalle class that he took on architecture/drafting.  One of these deals where there was a matchbook and it had a phone number on the cover to contact LaSalle Institute to get a degree.  He made the call and took a correspondence course.  After he got this degree, his career was set.

He designed houses and built some in New Lebanon.  He designed my Dad's house and even designed his own place.  I remember going with my Dad from time to time when he would help on these projects.  Me and Matt helped cut out door frames and other simple tasks.

He went to work for Pitney Bowes and helped to design office machines. Later he decided to again start a new business.  He designed and made a printer and was able to make a huge sale.  But the marketing guy was not able to follow up and they ended up dissolving the partnership. But he tried - threw the dice and made a good effort. In his later years he did government contracting and helped design modern landing craft for the marines and other similar projects.

He retired to Kentucky - close to Cumberland lake. And he finally passed away.  I know he smoked most of his life, so that was probably a factor. But then once you hit your seventies, each day is not promised.