Daniel Francis Ehrhardt,

Daniel Francis Ehrhardt, Jr., 82, of East Hartford, loving husband of 56 years to Theresa (Coppinger) Ehrhardt, peacefully passed away on Sunday (April 25, 2010) surrounded by his caring family after a long illness. Born on his mother's birthday, January 11, 1928, in Hartford, a son of the late Daniel F. Sr., and Abbie R. (Sullivan) Ehrhardt, he had been a life-long resident of East Hartford. Dan was a graduate of East Hartford High School, Class of 1947 and was a U.S. Army Veteran of the Korean War. Prior to his retirement, Dan was employed for 27 years as a salesman by Gerber Baby Foods Company. He later went to work as a custodian for the Town of East Hartford Board of Education (a job he truly enjoyed), and would also retire from after 12 years of dedicated service. Dan was a communicant of Our Lady of Peace Church, East Hartford and a music enthusiast, especially of Irish music. Dan was a crafty wood worker who built several bird houses, as well as a talented artist of many ink drawings. He enjoyed being the family videographer and was a former golfer, avid Cincinnati Reds baseball fan who later switched to liking the New York Yankees, as well as an enthusiastic fan of the UCONN Women's basketball team. However, Dan's greatest joy in life was being a proud and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Besides his parents, Dan was predeceased by two sisters, Mary Jane Farnham of Montgomery, AL and Gertrude Oefinger of Newington. Along with his beloved wife, Terry, Dan is survived by his five special daughters, Joanne Archer and her husband, Donald 'Rob', of Wethersfield, Laura Topazio and her husband, Raymond, of Broad Brook, Ellen Cohn and her husband, Scott, of Glastonbury, Carolyn Sirois and her husband, Mark, of Manchester, Abbie Bockus and her husband, Timothy, of Manchester; 13 adored grandchildren, Jason Archer, Yvonne Archer Jorjorian and her husband, Adam, Elizabeth Archer, Victoria Archer Meacham and her husband, Kenneth, Kathryn Topazio, Daniel Topazio, Annie Cohn, Emily Cohn, Olivia Sirois, Julia Sirois, Matthew Sirois, Madeline Bockus, and Colin Bockus. He also leaves a sister, Rosita Hawrys of Newington; a sister-in-law, Mary Ellen Dagon and her husband, George, of Old Saybrook; two brothers-in-law, Michael Coppinger and his wife, Betty, of Glastonbury, Kenneth Coppinger and his wife, Carol, in Florida; many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. Funeral services will be Friday (April 30, 2010) with a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 12 p.m. at Our Lady of Peace Church, corner of May Road and Brandon Road, East Hartford. (Everyone is asked to please go directly to the church on Friday). Burial will follow at Veterans Memorial Field-Silver Lane Cemetery, East Hartford. Relatives and friends may call at the D'Esopo-East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford on Thursday (April 29th) from 4 - 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Dan's memory may be made to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018. For any on-line expressions of sympathy to the family please visit www.desopo.com. As Dan would often say 'See Ya in The Funnies'.