Gone But Not Forgotten
Dan was born in Flint, Michigan, the eldest son of Lucille Williamson Kearns and Lewis Gamble Kearns. In 1949 his family relocated to Haventown, a Philadelphia suburb, where Dan attended Brookline Elementary School. He was president of his Boy Scout troop, played little league softball, and delighted the neighborhood by providing free rides on the go cart which he designed and built himself at age eight.
After the family moved to Wallingford, another suburb of Philadelphia, Dan excelled in academics, athletics and leadership at Nether Providence High School, now Strath Haven High School. He was president of the student council, president of the senior class, co-captain of the school’s football team, which that year, in 1959, won the league championship, initiated the men’s cheerleading-gymnastics squad and his academic ranking was in the top 1% of his class. Dan was chosen of one of two from Philadelphia to attend the Air Force Academy, which at that time had yet to have its second graduating class. Dan was involved in many intercollegiate sports including cheerleading and gymnastics, as well as intramural boxing, rugby and football. In addition to playing rugby he also coached the sport in his last year. Dan graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1964 and took his masters in science at New York University in 1965. Dan later resigned his commission and went to work in the civilian world.
After working at IBM, Hewlett Packard and Boeing in the area of engineering and product development Dan pursued real estate development in Eugene, Oregon. He married Susan Scovell in 1985 and their daughter was born in 1986. The couple divorced soon after but Dan embraced being a father- Melissa was the light of his life. It was during this time that he developed strong appreciation for the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. He was active with marathon running, skiing, mountain climbing and white water rafting.
An entrepreneur by instinct and intellect Dan created Synergy Marketing which provided specialized marketing for unique products chiefly in the health care industry. He successfully ran his consultancy for over 39 years. His enterprising spirit and radiating positive energy has been an inspiration to all who have known him and worked with him.
Dan passed away on May 19th, 2014, at 12:20 A.M. due to complications that arose from cancer. He will be surely missed by his family and friends, especially his daughter Melissa of Rhododendron, Oregon, and sister Martha of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They have always appreciated the many adventures they went on with Dan, the time they spent together and the bond they shared. He will be missed as well by Dan’s partner Katie Fleischman of Sandy Oregon, with whom Dan shared a strong and significant love.
He is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Rev. Ralph D. Kearns and Edna Gamble Kearns; his maternal grandparents Harry Williamson and Louise Williamson; and his parents Lucille Williamson Kearns and Lewis Gamble Kearns of Bradenton Florida.
(Frank R. Bartlett, Lt. Col. USAF (ret))
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