Dan is a Seattle native—born and raised! His family first lived in the White Center neighborhood and he remembers the days when the land between South Park and Tacoma was mostly trees with very few houses in-between. One of his standout memories from his childhood is eating a tomato that he stole from a garden. He thinks it’s such a standout memory because he didn’t get caught!
Dan joined the United States Navy which is where he received his initial electrician training and additional nuclear power training. He was assigned to a nuclear power submarine for three years, 10 months and 28 days (but who’s counting?!). After the Navy, Dan enrolled in college to complete his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Dan’s Master’s thesis was on the ultraviolet and blue light emitted from welding arcs. After reviewing Dan’s thesis, his Master’s advisor told him that he should have kept a closer eye on him because his Master’s thesis was really PhD level work! Dan’s career ultimately brought him back to Seattle and he now calls the South Park neighborhood home.
One of Dan’s favorite things to do in Seattle is driving down Lake Washington Boulevard. He loves checking out the scenery and finds it to be a relaxing drive if there aren’t too many cyclists out on the road. In his free time, he enjoys metal-working and enjoys helping others with their metal-working projects.
Dan is a naturally curious individual and his curiosity has led him to getting involved in a number of different groups and communities throughout South Park—including involvement in the Neighborhood Association and handing out vegetable boxes for families at the local Community Center during 2020. He found South Park Senior Center about seven years ago by exploring the neighborhood and has been coming ever since. He enjoys dinner at the Center most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays!
A Fun Fact About Dan
Dan taught at Concord Elementary School in South Park. Back in 2015, Dan was involved in an electric vehicle group and entered an electric scooter into a South Park parade. The principal of Concord saw Dan’s scooter and recruited him to come work at the school. He started out in the “Salmon in Schools” program where kids help raise salmon from eggs until they were big enough to be released into the wild. After that program, Dan moved into teaching in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) program before retiring in 2019!