Daniel Irwin

Daniel Irwin, 86, of Dartmouth peacefully passed away on July 19, 2024 after a period of declining health.  He was the loving husband of Diane M. (Fluegel) Irwin, with whom he shared 61 years of marriage.

Dan was the son of the late Arthur and Vera (Parsons) Harding of Acushnet.  He never stopped sharing anecdotes of his adventures growing up with his late brothers Harold and Charles Harding and numerous childhood friends throughout Acushnet and Rochester.

Dan was incredibly proud to be a military veteran. He left high school to join the U.S. Army, later receiving his GED.  While a member of the army, he served in the Korean War.  He then transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard, which included assignments in Asia and the Artic and service in the Vietnam War.  He had many memories of his days in the military, especially during the time he spent on the USCGC Hamilton 715.  He retired as a Chief Engineer with honors in 1976 after 20 years of military service.

Dan was later employed in the Marine Department of Massachusetts Maritime Academy where he kept the student training vessels running.  He enjoyed his time at the academy until his retirement in 2004.

Dan was a member of Star-in-the-East/Paskamansett Masonry Lodge in New Bedford for the last 37 years.  He spent many hours soliciting donations for The Shriners Hospital for Children. He was often impressed with the generosity of those who gave and took great pride that he was helping children who needed the care provided by the Shriner's facilities.

Dan was a fan of New England sports teams, especially the Red Sox.  He also had a passion for Nascar Racing, attending many races in several states over the years.  Dan's favorite events to attend were those that his grandchildren were participating in, which included high school sports and theater productions.  He traveled as often as he could, visiting several U.S. states, including Hawaii multiple times.  He had many stories from a trip to Ireland that Diane surprised him with for their 35th wedding anniversary.

Above all, Dan loved his family.  He was the one we all knew we could turn to when we needed advice about a car repair or the best route to just about anywhere before we had electronic maps.  We have memories of childhood camping trips and more recent visits to local casinos with him.  Dan passed on a sense of adventure to his kids and grandkids because he always enjoyed new experiences.  We loved him dearly and miss him already.

Dan is survived by his wife, Diane; his daughter Kathleen M. Hibbert and her husband Timm of Marion; his daughter, Jennifer L. Irwin of Dartmouth; and four grandchildren, Jessica, Ian (and his wife, Michelle), Abigael, and Aidan.  Also, several nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by his son, Michael A. Irwin.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to the St. Luke's Hospital ICU nurses, especially Jianna and Sam.  They were exceptionally compassionate to our dad and patient with our family while we navigated his final days with us.  We are forever grateful for your care.

A service to celebrate his life will be held at a later date.  He will be interred in the Massachusetts National Cemetery.

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