Daniel Alexander McCurdy

Good morning. We are here today to honor, pay tribute and celebrate the life of Daniel Alexander McCurdy or better known the past 8 or 9 years by many of his family and friends simply as “PeePaw”. The nickname “PeePaw” was given to him by my daughter Kylie when she was very young. He loved that nickname and sometimes would only answer to “PeePaw”.

So what can you say about someone who had such a strong moral compass? It affected all parts of his life and the lives of others from being a husband, father, grandfather, friend and Christian. It’s difficult to express with mere words in this brief moment the type of man my father-in-law was, when it has taken us a whole lifetime to experience him. I can only give you glimpses of the wonderful person he truly was.

In 1937, Dan was born in Brynmawr, PA into an Irish/Catholic family, in an Irish/Catholic neighborhood. He was the oldest child, having 2 younger brothers John and Mike. His dad, John was a blue collar worker who worked in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. His mom, Kathleen took care of things at home for her three boys. They were strict but also loving and supportive parents, while teaching them prayers and making sure they became “Good Alter Boys.”

They lived in a close neighborhood. Four doors away lived his three first cousins, all girls, Mary, Peggy and Ann and they grew up together like brothers and sisters.

Dan went to eight years of Catholic grade school, taught by Immaculate Heart Nuns and then spent four years of Catholic High School, where he was taught by Christian Brothers. He also spent a year at St. Joes Catholic College. He often joked that he received a “good” Catholic education however he wasn’t what you would call a “good student.”

I remember his story of when in 1955 he graduated high school on a Friday afternoon and the following Monday he interviewed for a job with an insurance company. He got that job and on his very first morning with Commercial Union Insurance, his boss asked him if he had any questions. The one question he asked her was “when is lunch?” She in turn replied to Dan, “With an attitude like that young man, you won’t be with this company very long.” Dan told that story again at his Commercial Union Insurance retirement party some 42 years later.

After he was working in the insurance business for a few years he met a new employee, a young lady who was very pretty and “very” outgoing. Her name was Madeleine. You will hear Madeleine’s name a lot in the next few minutes as it is hard to say only one of their names without saying the others. They always seemed joined together. In Dan’s own words, “she would be the most important person to ever come into his life!”

Dan and Madeleine were married in September, 1962. He had just been promoted and transferred from his Philadelphia office to the Washington D.C. office. They started their married life together in a new city away from their family and friends. Eight years and three children later, Dan, Madeleine, Patrick, Kathleen and Danny moved to Maryland when he was transferred to their Baltimore office. Two years later he was again transferred, this time to Seattle, WA as CU’s Underwriting Manager.

After spending 11 years in Seattle, it was again time to move on. He transferred to the Sacramento office in 1983 and then to the Los Angeles office a year later where he lived in Alta Loma for the last 27 years of his life. It was then in 1984 Dan and Madeleine joined this wonderful parish at St. Peter and St. Paul. As many of you know Dan and Madeleine were very active members of this church.

They were lectors at Sunday Mass together. They joined the Marriage Prep Program and helped prepare young couples who wanted to get married in the Catholic Church. They worked together as a couple visiting a nursing home here in Alta Loma on a weekly basis where they visited with the sick and elderly.

Dan also continued his 24 year prison ministry that he began back in his days in Seattle. As frustrating as prison ministry was, he always spoke how rewarding it was for him as well.

While he was in Seattle he also made his Cursillo, which he credits to totally turning his family life around. He continued his involvement in the Cursillo movement here at St. Peter and St. Paul where he brought many people to Christ through Cursillo, including his very good friend Deacon John Barna.

In 2002, Dan and Madeleine celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. They renewed their wedding vows in front of family and friends at a Sunday Mass here at St. Peter and St. Paul. What a special day that was. Life was good…very good.

Three years later we were fortunate enough to be able to take Dan and Madeleine on a family vacation with us to Kauai for a week. It was wonderful to see firsthand the loving bond built with our children and their proud grandparents. However, a short 4 months later in September of 2005, Madeleine was diagnosed with “stage four” advanced lung cancer. She passed only six months later. Dan was devastated. How could this be? The love of his life…gone. He would have to put his life back together. I feel he did that by pouring all of his energy into the church and into lives of his grandchildren. The new “loves of his life” were Alex, Mario, Elizabeth, Patrick, and Kaitlin living in Seattle and our 2 children, Matthew & Kylie.

Kathy and I were lucky, living only about 65 miles away and close to the beach; Dan wanted to come visit us as often as possible. And when I say “come visit us,” I really mean come visit Matthew and Kylie. But speaking as his son in law…or should I say his “favorite son in law,” he was welcome at our house anytime. He was a special man to me. My own father passed almost 14 years ago, a year before Kathy & I married. I always felt like Dan was my second father; I respected him that much. Both Dan and Madeleine taught us that a loving marriage filled with respect, devotion and friendship is the greatest gift parents can give their children.

As many of you know, you could not have a better friend than Dan McCurdy. If Dan considered you a friend, it was usually for life. He had too many friends to name just a few here, it would not be fair. He was always a man of his word and integrity. He stood up for what he believed in. Even if some of his beliefs were a little misguided, like the belief that Notre Dame would again be a football powerhouse against USC. (Sorry Dan… I had to get one last dig in).

Obviously, sports were a big part of Dan’s life. Whether it was rooting for his favorite college team Notre Dame, or for his Phillies in baseball or being physically active in his own life, he just loved sports. Some of his many favorites with his friends were golf, fishing, hiking and running. He even completed the Los Angeles Marathon in 1987, 2 months short of his 50th birthday. He was also an avid mountain climber. Climbing Mt. Rainier twice comes to mind as one of his favorites. I just learned last night that Mt. Rainier is 14,410 feet high. That is quite an accomplishment. But I personally know his favorite sport of all time was watching his grandson, Matthew play baseball and basketball and his granddaughter, Kylie play soccer. He wished they had a game every day of the week so he could watch and cheer them on.

You may have noticed I haven’t spoken of Dan’s two personal battles with prostate cancer. He wouldn’t want me to. Instead, he would want me to focus on all of the blessings the Good Lord gave him.

Excellent health for most of his life.

His loving wife, Madeleine of 43 years.

3 wonderful and caring children.

9 beautiful, healthy grandchildren.

A good, steady employer for 42 years

Hundreds of friends surrounding him throughout his life.

And of course, the Good Lord watching over him all those years.

Daniel Alexander McCurdy…

The dates will read…Born April 30, 1937. Died May 3, 2011. But in those 74 years, it’s safe to say he touched more people with love and friendship than he would ever know. So again, please remember today not as a funeral, but as a celebration of Dan being born into eternal life with God.