Daniel Craig Markley

Born February 24, 1944, in Ironton, Ohio, he was adopted 10 days later by Wence and Dorothy (Whittington) Markley of Lima, Ohio. Dan attended Shawnee High School in Lima but spent his childhood at “the lake,” a summer home on Oliver Lake in LaGrange, Indiana where his cousins, the Petermans, lived. He had his first job at Limberlost Camp, run by his Uncle Pete, where he learned the basic values that served him well throughout his life. He graduated from Bowling Green State University with a B.S. in Business Administration/Marketing, Class of 1966, and went on to graduate school until he learned that he no longer had a draft deferment. Knowing that Vietnam had snakes, he joined the Navy and, never having been in a plane before, became a Naval Aviator. He was commissioned as an Ensign in 1967 and finally attained his M.A. in Human Resource Management from Pepperdine University in 1977.

A distinguished career military officer, Dan dedicated 27 years of service to the U.S. Navy and to the Nation. He served with honor and distinction at various locations both stateside and abroad, including Italy, Washington State, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. His first duty station after training was Naples, Italy, where he made lifelong friends and flew a variety of planes honing his skills and increasing his adaptability. After hosting his detailers, he was remarkably able to get an assignment flying A-6s at Whidbey Island, WA where he spent 9 years, 5 ½ of which were at sea as an A6 Strike Aircraft Carrier Pilot. He had three tours, first to VA-145 serving on the USS Constellation deployed to Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand, then back to Whidbey in VA-128 training squadron, and finally more sea time in VA-165 flying off the USS Ranger in Southeast Asia. Due a shore tour, he got orders to Navy Recruiting District - Milwaukee as a recruiter and met Jane, the love of his life, whom he was replacing on recruiting duty -- a job turnover like no other. Recruiting was not for him, so he finagled orders to D.C., to join Jane a year later, assigned to OP11 where he was Head, Aviation Manpower Requirements. They were married on May 29, 1981, at the Navy Chapel in D.C. Having risen through the ranks to Commander, he decided to request not to be reviewed for command selection, a career kiss of death. Dan and Jane were then stationed together in Naples in 1983. He was assigned to COMFAIRMED as the Substance Abuse Coordinator, a job that lasted less than a day when the Executive Officer, an old friend, called him in and made him the N1, Asst. Chief of Staff, Administration and Manpower over the Navy’s Mediterranean shore-based facilities, saying that he wasn’t going to waste Dan’s expertise. Naples was hard living, but the people made up for it. He made long-lasting friends, including Captain Vern Listol, a friend and mentor for many years, and Ian and Doreen Shaw, British Navy neighbors whom he befriended with an offer of margaritas on the deck.

Returning to D.C., he took assignments at the Pentagon and then Crystal City working at NAVAIR (OP-59) as Head, Aviation Manpower Requirements Branch, and then at PMA 205 as Program Manager and Deputy for Joint/Advanced Technology Programs, making a difference wherever he went. He got the shock of his life when, in 1990, Jane got orders to deploy on the USNS Comfort to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and he had to maintain house and home. This exposure prompted a call of apology to his ex-wife, Joyce, for the 5+ years she had done the same for him—definitely a sign of the man he was.

Dan’s exemplary service earned him numerous awards and citations, including two Meritorious Service Medals. But his most meaningful award came upon his retirement. Having been the “stuckie” most of his career to write medal nominations, he did not want to put anyone out to do a departure award for him; that, he felt, was pointless. Imagine his surprise, and temporary anger, as it was announced that he would be receiving a “medal” and his boss pulled out a 3x3 piece of sheet metal and rattled it at him. Everyone got their wish that day.

After retiring from the military in 1994, Dan continued a career in the private sector as a Naval and Air Force Aviation Analyst for General Dynamics Information Technology (formerly ISI and Anteon) providing support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, The Naval Air Systems Command, the Office of Chief of Naval Operations and the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. Dan retired from GDIT in 2010.

Beyond his professional achievements, Dan was known for his strong loyalty to people whom he called “friend,” and not just anyone could attain that title. Although he claimed no hobbies, he was a voracious reader, devouring 20-30 books per month. He had a passion and flair for being a chef, and was known far and wide for his scrumptious, usually spicy, meals. Just do not ask him to bake, except for his chocolate pecan pie. And he loved to travel, visiting more than 100 countries and all continents. He always had an upcoming trip to discuss along with lessons learned from his travels.

Dan is survived by his beloved wife, M. Jane Markley, Captain, U.S. Navy (retired), of Derwood, MD and his Shetland sheep dog, Thatcher. Although he had no children of his own, he doted on Emma and Claire, daughters of the Shaws. They became his goddaughters and were frequently provided with Dan’s “sage” guidance, whether wanted or not. Dan was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Joyce Markley, and his brother-in-law, David S. Osterhout.

A funeral service with full military honors will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Dan’s name to The Wild Animal Sanctuary (https://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org), Keensburg, CO, a cause close to Dan’s heart or to CaringBridge (https://www.caringbridge.org) that provided the method of communicating during this time.