Daniel M. Doolittle, 81, of Kennebunk, Maine, originally of Darien, died on Monday, March 6 at Gosnell Memorial Hospice in Scarborough, Maine. He was the brother of Darien Town Clerk Donna E. Rajczewski of Darien.
Daniel Doolittle, 81, died March 6. His funeral is scheduled for May 6.
Dan was born on May 20, 1935 to Dwight N. and Dorothy M. (Smith) Doolittle in Stamford. He attended Darien High School until 1953 and graduated from Williston Academy, Northampton, Mass., in 1955.
Dan attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. He married Cynthia Crider in 1971 in Scarsdale, NY.
Dan worked at Pitney-Bowes as a service repair technician before being drafted into the United States Army.
He spent two years stationed in France using skills he learned with the U. S. Army Signal Corps and worked installing and repairing phones at his base. Dan was home for almost a year before being recalled into active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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— an obituary from Hope Memorial Chapel
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Dan returned to Pitney-Bowes as a technical service writer. He became manager of technical publications and continued employment with the copier division.
He played hockey on Darien ponds in his youth and, starting in 1968, coached the Darien High School hockey team, winning a state championship in 1969, according to the Darien Times.
After forty years, Dan retired from the company and moved to Maine. Dan loved Maine. After spending summers in western Maine as a child and owning a camp on Moose Pond in Denmark, Maine. Dan and Cynthia were drawn to retire here.
Dan belonged to The Church on the Cape in Cape Porpoise and to Laudholm Farm in Wells. He was an avid wood turner and loved creating things out of wood. He was always fixing or building something. Dan loved his family around him and enjoyed his summers on the water in Maine, often kayaking with the loons.
In addition to his sister, Donna Rajczewski, Daniel is survived by his wife of 46 years, Cynthia Doolittle of Kennebunk; two daughters: Alyssa M. Doolittle of Newark, Vt. and Robin Illian and her husband Randy of Portland; six grandchildren: LunaMay Doolittle Waterman, Gordon Simpson Doolittle, Jack Simpson, Leonard Daniel Illian, Sequoia Shriver Illian and Francesca Sparrow; one sister; two nieces: Lee R. Richardson of Burlington, N.C. and Dana Turton of Richmond, Va; and many cousins.
A memorial service will be held at The Church on the Cape at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 6, 2017.