Dana Bernard Ciccone

He was an artist at heart – a poet and a potter. Dana departed from his mortal flesh on Sep 23 due to Parkinson’s disease. He went to the pure realm of the Buddha at 1:20 a.m. on his wife Janet’s birthday. She believes that he waited four days, “sleeping,” because he wanted to tell her of his love once more, as he had each of her birthdays during their 45-year marriage.

“I mourn the loss of the man who was a devoted spouse and my very best friend,” said Janet Kiplinger Ciccone. “On the Sunday a week before he died, I read our self-composed wedding vows with him and told him he had more than fulfilled his promise to cherish me. I hope I did him justice in caring for him in his last years. I have been blessed by his loving, compassionate spirit.”

From Florida to the Catskills.

Dana was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he enjoyed Scouting and camping with his dad and playing with his two younger brothers, Mark and Randy, in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. In his senior year, his family moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he made several lifelong friends.

Ohio University: An adventure in art and literature.

After high school, he attended Ohio University, earning a BS in journalism and an MA in English/creative writing. He was selected for the honor of being an Oho Fellow. In addition to publishing his poetry, he and friends discovered a letterpress in the art department, learned to set type and founded Stump Press. They produced quality chapbooks and STUMP, a literary magazine, which attracted the original work of well-known poets such as Charles Bukowski, Theodore Enslin and Jack Hirschman. Dana and Janet met and married in Athens while he was a graduate assistant to one of the deans.

California days.

In California, Dana fell in love with creating clay pottery, becoming half-owner of The Potters’ Studio, Berkley. The studio rented space to artists, taught classes and fired the creations everyone made so they could sell their art. Dana and Janet loved hiking the Point Reyes Sea Shore and visiting the Redwoods. Dana supported Janet enthusiastically as she earned a master’s degree in English at San Francisco State University.

Dana interrupted his love of pottery to return to Ohio, settling in Columbus so Janet could be close to her mother, Thelma Kiplinger after her father, Professor D.C. Kiplinger, died.

A career in higher education.

Dana earned a PhD in higher education administration at The Ohio State University and received his diploma just as his son, David Kiplinger Ciccone, turned two. Dana became special assistant to Dean Don Anderson in the College of Education, then worked for Associate Dean Tom Stephens, whom he always admired for his expertise in special education and his administrative savvy. Dana was known among the faculty and staff for his kindness and diplomacy, and for managing administrative matters for the college with grace and an appreciation for others.

A loving father who encouraged art.

Dana was both a loving spouse and a doting father. He and David enjoyed many things together. In fact, the whole family became engaged with Cub Scouts. Dana and Janet shared leadership of David’s den with several other couples, getting involved with Pinewood Derby, camping, archery and more. Later, Dana became leader of Pack 180 under the tutelage of the former leader, Jonathan Fugit.

David says Dana encouraged his love of art. They both liked to draw, and when Dana set up his pottery studio in the basement, he taught David to throw. David pursued art and pottery making in high school thanks to his dad.

Ohio State Medical Center service.

Dana next became the administrator of the Clinical Research Center at the Ohio State Medical Center under Dr. Bill Malarkey. Nurses, kitchen staff and MDs alike appreciated Dana, enjoying his compassionate nature, his administrative excellence and his sense of humor. He was very proud of the important research that was conducted at the clinic.

Despite working hard, Dana made time to go to aerobics class during the lunch hour, staying physically fit and strong. He retired after serving 22 years.

An artistic career.

Even though his Parkinson’s was diagnosed at this time, Dana returned to his love of pottery during retirement. He started Lotus Ceramics, his motto being “Out of the mud, grows the lotus.” In his studio, he created beautiful mugs, bowls, vases, pitchers and hanging planters, all with signature glazes, and sold them at art shows, including the annual Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival. Check your shelves. You may have some of his pots. For several years in a row, he helped Columbus Arts Festival visitors throw a pot on his wheel in the volunteer tent.

Raising bonsai, collecting stamps.

Dana had a passion for raising bonsai, nurturing a number of impressive specimens over the years. He also collected stamps, with special interest in U.S. revenue stamps and the transportation series.

He belonged to a gym and was physically active as long as he could manage it. Then he regularly attended Delay the Disease exercise classes.

Becoming a Buddhist.

In his later years, Dana joined the Karma Thegsum Choling Buddhist Center of Columbus, appreciating Buddhism for its emphasis on loving kindness and meditation. He had a special affinity for the Medicine Buddha, with his emphasis on relieving suffering of all living beings. During his last year’s illness, Janet regularly read to him from Buddhadharma, a journal whose essays they both found uplifting.

Dana is preceded in death by parents Rocco Dominic Ciccone and Naomi Ruth Partin, as well as his youngest brother Randy. He is survived by son David, brother Mark (Christine Storey), and five nieces and nephews.

Calling hours are 4-7 p.m., Thurs, Oct. 3, at Schoedinger Northwest Chapel, Zollinger Rd, Columbus, 43221. A memorial service will be held for Dana on Saturday, October 12, at 2 p.m. at First Community Church, 1320 Cambridge Blvd, Columbus, Ohio 43212.

A Christian Service will be followed by a refreshment break, followed by a Buddhist Prayer Service.

In lieu of flowers, please give to Ohio State University fund # 606867, the Tom and Evelyn Stephens Scholarship in Special Education—go to giveto.osu.edu/makeagift, or to the Columbus KTC Buddhist Center, Columbusktc.org,