He was a devoted father, well-loved by his seven siblings, a proud uncle and a dear friend to all who knew him well. Danny was a man of deep faith and an active member of St Thomas More Catholic Church in Decatur, GA where he served as a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus.
As a high school student Danny was admitted to and graduated from the select accelerated program (“A Course”) at The Baltimore City College and after graduating in 1965 earned advance placement at Loyola University Maryland. At Loyola Danny was an outstanding student earning a BA Degree in Political Science. He later continued his studies in politics and earned a MA Degree in Political Science from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
At Loyola Danny was active in several extracurricular activities. He was a four-year participant in Loyola’s ROTC program from which, at graduation in June, 1969, he was commissioned a 2LT in the US Army Artillery Corps. Danny was elected vice president of his senior class (’69) and lettered for four years as a midfielder on Loyola’s nationally recognized lacrosse team. After Loyola Danny joined some of his former high school and college teammates to play club lacrosse in Baltimore and Washington D.C. Danny joined five of his seven siblings in Atlanta in 1984, and for the remainder of his life was a devoted tennis enthusiast, enjoying years of good tennis with his many friends at the Dekalb Seniors League.
Danny is survived by his daughters Jennifer Souders (Matt) and Rose Rockecharlie, Brothers Nick Rockecharlie (Heidi) and Anthony Rockecharlie, Sisters Pat Piper, Susie Voynich (Mike), Carol Koziel, Frannie Reece (Russell), and Theresa Jackson (Rich), nine nieces and nine nephews. He is predeceased by his mother Anna Louise Black Rockecharlie and father Benjamin Francis Rockecharlie as well as his brother-in-law, Dan Piper.
The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the many “angels” in Danny’s life who provided help in times of need –Those Greyhound teammates who provided a lifetime of friendship, memories and stories he told passionately with great frequency and even greater detail; Those health professionals at the V.A. Medical Center and elsewhere who provided a level of care and concern that allowed them to become family to him; Those tennis buddies who faithfully provided transportation and comradery that reminded him of his athletic past and his love for competition; Those special friends who partnered with him in the love and care for his daughters; and the amazing network of parishioners who drove him to and from Mass daily. To you Danny’s family says thanks for bringing a richness to his life along with much comfort and joy.
Due to Covid conditions, there will be no visitation. A Mass, limited to family and close friends, will be held on Thursday, March 18 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Decatur. Interment following for family only at Arlington Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Knights of Columbus, Council 4358, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 636 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, GA 30030 or to YoungLife, LaGrange, giving.younglife.org/lagrange, or checks made payable to Young Life sent to: 300 Mooty Bridge Rd. Ste. 204, LaGrange, GA 30240
