Daniel J. Affatato

Born March 13, 1934, in the Tacony section of Philadelphia, Dan grew up in an Italian-American family of very modest means and went on to build a remarkable life for himself. He attended Our Lady of Consolation grade school and graduated from Northeast Catholic High School for Boys. After high school, he worked his way through Temple, earning a degree in pharmacy. He then used his career as a pharmacist to finance his education at Temple Dental School, where he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). He went on to proudly serve his country as an Army Captain and dentist before returning to Philadelphia, starting a family, and establishing his own private dental practice at the intersection of Convent Avenue and Willits Road in Northeast Philadelphia.

Dan was a man who believed in making the most of what life had to offer. He had a genuine “lust for life,” a phrase he particularly loved in reference to the film Lust for Life, about Vincent van Gogh, whose paintings he greatly admired. He loved good food, music, baseball, football, art, and conversation, and especially enjoyed the simple pleasures of life: watching a baseball or college football game, Johnny Carson reruns, Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond, listening to Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra, sharing a meal, or sitting down for a long conversation when family came to visit.

He always had a big smile and a big “Hey” when you walked in, and somehow there was often a Wawa hoagie or sandwich waiting for you in the refrigerator when you left. These small gestures were characteristic of Dan: he took genuine pleasure in welcoming people into his home, feeding them, talking with them, and simply enjoying their company.

That appreciation for life remained with him throughout his 92 years, right up through his final days.

Dan was preceded in death by his son, Daniel M. Affatato, and by his two brothers, Joseph and Richard. He is survived by his beloved wife, Virginia (nee Falkenstein); his daughters, Susan Kluska and her long-term fiancé, Edward Keegan, and Carol Affatato; his grandchildren, Anthony Kluska and his wife, Loris de Paiva, Timothy Kluska and his wife, Ashley Kluska, and Christopher Affatato; and his great-grandchildren, Nolan, Savannah and Noah.

To those who knew him, Dan was much more than a pharmacist, dentist, Army veteran, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was a role model and an example of how to build a life from very little and, above all, how to appreciate the life that was built. His influence will continue through the family he loved, the values he passed on, and the many memories he left behind.

Services will be private, with military funeral honors, followed by burial at Forest Hills Cemetery in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.