Daniel Francis MacDougall

Dan was a devoted husband who faithfully served his country and his community.

After graduating high school at St. Mary of the Assumption in Brookline, Mass., he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1951. During the Korean War he served four years as a radio operator on the USS Strong (DD 758).

Dan graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, then moved to Washington and took a job with the U.S. Postal Service.

In 1960 Dan joined the Central Intelligence Agency, where he would work for the next 34 years. After taking an assignment in Cyprus, Dan spent most of his career in the Washington, D.C. area as an equipment technician and field engineer.

In 1969 he married Suzanne Woodhams of Owosso, Michigan, with whom he built a life of love, faith, and service to others. He treated her to gourmet omelets every Friday night, complete with candlelight and classical music.

In their younger days Dan and Suzanne enjoyed travel to Civil War sites at home and historic landmarks in England and France. Dan’s hobbies in retirement included gardening, cookie-baking, and spending time with his cat, Iain Ciar (named after an 18th century chief of Clan MacDougall).

A life-long learner, Dan took up the art of writing icons, and in 1995 he founded the Iconographers’ Guild at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington. He coordinated the group’s activities for more than 30 years.

Dan was proud of his Scottish heritage. He represented Clan MacDougall in the annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade, hosted the fiddle tent at the Virginia Scottish Games in Alexandria, and supported scholarships for young fiddlers through the Potomac Valley Scottish Fiddle Competition.

Born on May 12, 1932, in Lexington, Mass., Dan was the fifth of 10 children of John Angus MacDougall and Catherine Ann Smith MacDougall.

In addition to his parents, Dan was preceded in death by his sisters Mary, Theresa, Agnes and Dorothy, and his brothers James and John Colin.

He is survived by his loving wife, Suzanne Woodhams MacDougall; his sisters Margaret “Peggy” Kelly of Stratford, Conn. and Joan Louise Davidson of Taunton, Mass.; his brother John Warren MacDougall of Middleborough, Mass.; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

A visitation will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, April 20, 2026, in the St. Ignatius Chapel of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 3513 N Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20007.

A funeral Mass will begin at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 21, at Holy Trinity, 1315 36th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20007.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to

Holy Trinity Catholic Church (https://trinity.org/donate-online/),

Bread for the World (https://www.bread.org/give/),

Habitat for Humanity (https://www.habitatdcnova.org/support-us/donate/),

Food for Others (https://foodforothers.org/donate-now/),

or the charity of your choice.