Dan Crouse, 53, Dies

Dan Crouse, 53, of The Dalles, OR formerly of Enfield, passed away peacefully early Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, after a brief, yet courageous battle with brain cancer. While his unexpected passing leaves his loved ones across the country in total disbelief and sorrow, there is comfort in knowing he is no longer suffering and he would want his loved ones to remember and cherish all the good times spent together.

Dan was the beloved husband of 22 years, to Odalis, of The Dalles, OR and proud and doting father to his son Danny, of The Dalles, OR. He is also survived by his parents, Merle and Barbara, his sister, Linda, and his brother, Jeffrey and and wife, Lisa, all of Enfield. Dan also leaves behind his nephews and niece, Tim, Jeremy and Jillian, all of Enfield. He also leaves behind a number of cherished aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, co-workers and numerous dear friends and teammates.

Dan was a transplanted Connecticut Yankee in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. No matter where he roamed, and how much he loved his life in Oregon, he remained proud of his Connecticut roots and New England heritage.

A graduate of Enfield High School, class of 1976, Dan attended Manchester Community College before moving to California. He later joined the U.S. Navy, where he traveled extensively around the world, honed his journalism skills, and later settled down in Portland, OR. Dan worked for 22 years for the State of Oregon, Department of Environmental Protection. His job permitted him to travel extensively throughout the state. His idea of a perfect workday would be 500 miles of backroads in his Jeep, visiting various environmental sites and meeting with the locals. While in Oregon, he continued his education at Mt. Hood College, where he studied journalism.

Dan was an accomplished athlete. If it involved a "ball", Dan excelled. He was a member of the 1973 Hazardville Senior All-Star state championship team, which was inducted in the Town of Enfield’s Athletic Hall of Fame in Sept. 2010. A lifelong fan of the New York Giants, Boston Red Sox, and UConn Huskies, Dan was a savvy Fantasy Football League opponent, and his March Madness pool selection had the 2011 UConn Huskies winning it all.

Dan was a veracious reader of anything and everything; he was in the final stages of writing a book. He loved spending time in a local library or a town hall researching a variety of topics, or combing through old maps and microfiche. He saved every piece of paper and every book (a trait we believed inherited from his mom). While working in San Antonio, TX as a newspaper reporter, his apartment consisted of "furniture" that was basically nothing more than well placed stacks of newspapers.

A lover of all things “statistical” and weather patterns, a favorite gift to Dan would be a sporting team’s yearbook, an "almanac" and/or atlas. His last email to his Enfield family members was regarding the recent Oct 29 Nor'easter.

Dan had a wicked dry sense of humor and a mischievous gleam look in his eye. Not to mention his ever-present, crooked little smirk. Dan was a risk-taking daredevil, who had a unique outlook on life – he was indeed one of a kind. He never took the easy road – he preferred to blaze his own path. He was an extremely loyal friend, who stood by a friend no matter what.

“Do not grieve for me. Be happy that after 53 years, I have fought the fight, run the race, and reached the finish line, first. I will be waiting for all of you”.

Relatives and friends may gather with his family during calling hours on Thursday (Dec. 8, 2011) from 4 to 7 p.m. at Browne Memorial Funeral Chapels, 43 Shaker Rd., Enfield. A Memorial Service with Fr. Ed O’Brien officiating will take place at 5 p.m. at the funeral home.