Madawaska – Daniel P. Ahearne, Jr., 86, passed away August 9th, 2017 at High View Manor in Madawaska, ME. Dan was born in New Britain, CT on April 23, 1931, son of the late Daniel P. Ahearne, Sr. and Balbina Blazauskas.
He was married to his wife, Germaine (Sirois), for 66 years. Dan is survived by his two sons, Douglas and Michael, his daughter-in-law Jessica, and two grandchildren, Molly and Jake all of Kingwood, TX. He is also survived by his brother John and wife Barbara of Chapel Hill, NC, several nieces and nephews, and his Great Pyrenees, Gibson.
A veteran of the U.S. Army, Dan enlisted in the service in 1950, at the age of 17, in order to serve the country in the Korean War. During his three tours of duty in Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division, he was wounded three times in combat receiving a Purple Heart with two oak leaf clusters, as well as several medals for valor in combat. Upon his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 1957 at the rank of First Sergeant, he pursued his undergraduate and graduate educations in physics. Dan went on to work in a diverse range of jobs in nuclear physics, politics, solar energy, and education. Although Dan's jobs took him all over the world, he ended his career having retiring after 20 years as a quality engineer and supervisor at Fraser Papers, LTD in Madawaska, Maine.
Dan had a passion for sports, having coached numerous baseball, football, and basketball teams at the youth, high school and college levels. He spent long hours training his boys and often traveled long distances to watch them play in sporting events throughout the country.
A Mass of Christian Burial with military honors will be held at 10am on Saturday, July 21, 2018 at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. There will be no visitation, and burial immediately following in the St. David Cemetery. Dan was a lifelong advocate and contributor to organizations advocating for the humane and ethical treatment of animals. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Central Aroostook Humane Society, 26 Cross St. Presque Isle, ME, 04769.
