Daniel Paul Van Loan

Daniel Van Loan was born on August 19th, 1957, in Philadelphia, PA, to Daniel and Ada Van Loan. Being the oldest boy, he had 4 other siblings: Danna, David, Ada, and Mary. Daniel was an intelligent and thoughtful man in the eyes of his siblings. Being the first boy, he always protected his little brother and his older sisters. His siblings share he always called for their birthdays and holidays sending “smooches” whenever he could and always remained close with them. As a child, his older siblings would call him “dirt gobbler” because he would get dressed nicely, just to come home chocked full of dirt. It was said that he always marched to the beat of his own drum and had his own way about things. Daniel was funny and people had no choice but to laugh. He was born and raised in Philadelphia then moved to Massachusetts where he lived in Boston and Framingham, for many years, before moving to Gardner, MA where he lived out the rest of his life. Daniel was educated in the Philadelphia Public School system, he attended ITT Tech, in Boston, studying electronics, and Mount Wachusett Community college, in Gardner, MA, to study counseling. Daniel worked at jobs such as Burger King, where he met his wife, was in the Navy, Roofing, New England Medical Center as a transporter, Au Bon Pain, as a cook, Adesa, as a Service Truck Driver, for over 10 years, and owned his own restaurant cleaning business. Daniel’s friends share fond memories of riding bikes and playing games like Risk, Monopoly, and spades; He was a fierce competitor. Daniel was an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan. Even if they lost and didn’t win a championship, he road for his team. As soon as you walked into his house, you knew where his allegiance lied. There would be Philadelphia Eagles paraphernalia everywhere. Whether it was a towel, hat, sweatshirt, headrest cover, blanket, or poncho, people knew what team he loved. I guess having a son who is an avid New England Patriots fan made football discussions very interesting. Daniel loved to listen to music and make his own “Old School” tapes. In his car, you better not touch “A Black Man’s radio” because he didn’t budge on his jams. In his house, he had an amazing entertainment system set up that would make any DJ jealous. He loved vinyl’s and enjoyed pulling out his record player to listen to them. Daniel also enjoyed watching old westerns (Yes, the black and white ones), mafia movies, and movies about the navy and submarines. Daniel looooved his cars. One of his most prized possessions was his car. Daniel owned a Chevrolet Monte Carlo with DUH1 as his license plate, which he definitely was. He made it noticeably clear that he loved his car and tried to keep it as pristine as can be. Daniel married Stephanie Wise, in 1984, in Boston, MA, where they shared three children, and although Stephanie had two other children, he accepted them as his own. One of his greatest achievements was all of his children. Daniel loved his children and his children loved him. He worked to be in his children’s lives and never faltered to give advice, show support, just call to say, “I Love You”, and/or be a paramount figure in his children’s lives. Daniel enjoyed being around his children and grandchildren. With seven children and seven grandchildren, he wasn’t short of being loved and being with family that adored him and his visits. After his daily large cup of coffee, he was always ready to go into Father-Grandpa mode. Whether that was giving advice, singing on a voicemail to show his love, or just texting, “Daddy loves you”, he always made his presence known. Daniel is preceded in death by his mother and father Daniel and Ada Van Loan. Daniel leaves to cherish fond and precious memories: The mother of his children, Stephanie Van Loan of Mattapan, MA; 7 children; His son Daniel “Dupree” Bradwell (Ashley Buckles) of Little Elm, TX, His son, Marcus Wise (Nicole Blanchette) of North Attleboro, MA, His daughter, Tiffanie White (Jorge White) of Franklin, MA, His son, Keishaun Turner of Dorchester, MA, His Daughter Nakia Van Loan of Mattapan, MA, His daughter, Lakeisha Gerald of Norton, MA, His Daughter Latia Van Loan of Mattapan, MA, His dog, Lil Man of Gardner, MA; 9 grandchildren, Daniel Jr., Keyarah, Keysun, Maasiai, Jaidyn, Keishaun Jr., Brooke, Peyton, Keilani’Skye; 4 siblings, Danna, Ada, Mary, David; and friends and other children that loved him dearly and saw him as a father, brother, Grandfather, or just a beautiful soul.