Daniel Augustus Dreyfus

The Honorable Daniel A. Dreyfus, a public servant, combat veteran, and beloved father has passed into the Kingdom of our Lord on January 30, 2021. Following a bout of COVID-19 from which he recovered, ultimately Dementia took its toll. He was 89 years young. Daniel is survived by his wife, Josephine, five children, and six grandchildren. Daniel was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 5, 1931 to his parents, Major General James Dreyfus and the former Edna Cecilia Hogan. After his father served in World War II and participated in the reconstruction of Japan, Daniel attended the Meguro High School in Tokyo, Japan. Relentless in his pursuit of knowledge, Daniel would go on to attain a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the George Washington University in 1957, a Master of Engineering Administration from George Washington University in 1965, and a Doctor of Philosophy from The American University in 1975. For his notable work, American University also bestowed upon him the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1980. Before accruing his considerable academic credentials, Daniel served our nation in the Korean War. After leaving his chemistry textbook open in the library at Northwestern University, he enlisted in 1952 and saw combat as a rifleman and light machine gun squad leader in the Army’s 7th Infantry Division and was awarded the Order of the Bayonet for faithful and honorable service and a Combat Infantryman's Badge. In 1957, he was directly commissioned as a second lieutenant, and was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers. He also served as a company commander in the Eskimo Scout Battalions of the Alaska National Guard, where he delighted in toughening up special forces trainees by teaching them how to subsist on seal blubber and misery. In between his military duties in Korea and Alaska, Daniel married the love of his life, Josephine, whom he had met on summer vacations to Long Island as a teenager. Daniel and Josephine expanded their family by five children—four daughters and one son. With his family, Daniel eventually settled in McLean, Virginia, where he pursued a career in public service. In 1968, Daniel was appointed as a professional staff member to the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, beginning his time in the United States Senate. In 1979, he was appointed as the Staff Director for the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He retired from the Senate in 1981, but not before contributing to several major legislative efforts including the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 which established the Department of Energy. Daniel next took on a role at the Gas Research Institute, as the Director of Policy Analysis in a position of Deputy to the Vice President of the company and continued his presence on Capitol Hill in a slightly different capacity. Daniel retired from GRI to return to public service in 1993, through the nomination of the Senate and appointment by then President Clinton, to serve as the Director for the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Department of Energy. While awaiting the formal appointment, he worked as a special assistant to secretary Hazel O’Leary of the Department of Energy. Daniel managed key responsibilities for the Department, including overseeing the fueling and safety of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines and surface vessels, as well as the planning and initial exploration for the proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. After retiring from federal service, Daniel was able to combine his love of history with his professional life. He joined the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History as Associate Director for Operations, where he fulfilled roles as the chief operating officer and chief financial officer from 1997 to 1999. In his spare time, Daniel enjoyed exploring his favorite hobbies: gardening, talking to nature, gunsmithing for black powder shooting, and wood working. Daniel retired in McLean, much to the delight of the region’s fauna that seemed to have an almost magnetic attraction to him. In retirement, he delighted in caring for his six grandchildren, and instilling into them the same verve for life that he enjoyed and the knowledge he acquired including ‘never walk backwards on a dock,’ ‘never pitch a tent in a dry riverbed,’ and ‘you can never have enough clamps.’ Daniel will be missed by his family, and his many friends. A man of many interests, he was privileged enough to be a member of the Cosmos Club, the Izaak Walton League, the Knights of Columbus, the American Philatelic Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and Mensa. A mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday Feb. 8th 10 AM at St. James Catholic Church, 905 Park Ave. in Falls Church. A Private burial will be held at Fairfax Memorial Park. For more information please visit murphyfuneralhomes.com. For family and friends not able to attend services in person they can be viewed at either https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC79Oij7-oo1m3kkpT9BfFXA or facebook.com/murphyfallschurch For remembrances and condolences, please send cards to: Mrs. Dreyfus, P.O. Box 2389, Fairfax, VA 22031. Due to the current pandemic, physical viewing and services will be restricted. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the National Audubon Society (Audobon.org) or Alzheimer’s Association (ALZ.org). Requiescat in pace.