April 4, 2021, West Warwick, Rhode Island
Major: Mathematic Sciences
Williams service
- Admissions Representative
Obituary & related links
Date reported: April 6, 2021
April 4, 2021, West Warwick, Rhode Island
Major: Mathematic Sciences
Williams service
Obituary & related links
Date reported: April 6, 2021
Dan meant so much to so many of us, but those of us at East College jealously considered him to be one of our own. He was so good in so many ways, and we are all the better for having known and loved him. Heaven is a better and happier place with the Feiz in their midst.
I was shocked and saddened to hear that Dan died. We have been in contact over the last several years. I had assumed his health was ok and/or improving. Wish I had been able to say goodbye and to be supportive.
Recent memories:
At our most recent reunion, Dan made it a point to bring me fresh lobster. Very sweet.
I got a “spam” text regarding porn and a bitcoin demand. Immediately reached out to Dan who researched it and let me know I didn’t need to do anything (just don’t click the link!)
Dan came to visit me in NYC a couple years ago. A long drive down and back. He brought “special” food he could eat and made us a fabulous dinner. It was great to reconnect with him.
2.5 years ago my beloved Big Boy (8 year old tabby) was diagnosed with cancer. Dan kept checking in to see how I was doing and to offer support. The morning of his euthanasia appointment, I texted Dan to let him know. We texted back and forth up to the time I had to leave. I was a mess, crying – and Dan just hung in there with me, providing support that day and afterwards. He said: “It is a privilege to be able to support my dear friend in any way”. Such a giver…
And then when we brought my dad home to hospice last year, Dan was there via text.
Final text Jan 1 2021: Happy New Year, Barb! Hoping 2021 will be a great one for you.
What a wonderful human being. He will be sorely missed.
Rest in peace, Dan.
I am greatly saddened by the news of Dan’s passing. While we were not great friends, he was a fellow math geek, with whom I shared numerous math classes, as well as many math inside-jokes. He had a tremendous sense of humor, and we were constantly cracking each other up in class with jokes that often only we understood.
My all-time favorite memory came during my senior colloquium talk, which was the one-hour lecture required of all math majors. Of course it was delivered in front of the entire math faculty, along with math majors, and the general public. I so clearly remember just finishing my introduction, and preparing to ask the audience “Did anyone notice that all of these numbers are prime?” This was supposed to be an eye-opening question that would lead into the bulk of my discussion. Of course, before I got to the question, Dan interrupted to ask “Jeff, are all of those numbers prime?” This immediately caused all of the math faculty to burst into laughter, no doubt thinking that I had set Dan up to ask this most insightful question. Of course I hadn’t, but this brought a huge smile to my face, and my quick response was “***GREAT*** question, Dan. I’ll pay you later!” After much laughter, the talk went on to be a great success. Thank you Dan, and I miss you…
I am sad to hear this news. I remember Dan as a good man with a great sense of humor. My most immediate recollection was of him falling asleep on my shoulder on the steps of Thompson Chapel while we were assembling for graduation.
I had the great pleasure of sharing a “major” with Dan F, a major which at that time had under 15 participants? Maybe more, maybe less – math always confused me. Dan was wicked smart in a humble and joyous way. When he entered one of our classes, it was not dissimilar to an entry by “Norm” on “Cheers”
The world lost a jewel.
Although I had not spoken with Dan in many years, I remember him fondly. My most vivid memory of Dan ocurred our freshman year when he handily won the Williams Freshman Speaking Contect. Some entrants tried to employ contrived foreign accents, others were intellectually impressive but offered no entertainment value. Dan blew them all away with a simple, straighforward, tell-it-like-it-is style.
Just in the last few years, I often thought of Dan when I was on Acquidneck Island just across the Sakonnet River from his native Tiverton, RI. I would often bike from Newport/Middletown up to Portsmouth, but never quite made it over the bridge into Tiverton. Perhaps a reminder to us all to go ahead and try to connect with that well-remembered friend even if the outcome is uncertain. I’m sure Dan would have laughed and said “How the hell are you?”