Dan’s full and varied life began on November 7, 1935, in Philadelphia. He left his mortal home on earth on October 28th, 2025, at the age of 89.
Dan is survived by his beloved wife Jean, and step-children, Fred Borda and family, Juliette Borda and family, Paul Borda and family, and Iain Walker.
As a young man, Dan served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps. Dan loved marching bands and played horn in the Liberty Bell Drum and Bugle Corps and in the Reilly Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps, both of Philadelphia. Dan came by his love of marching bands naturally, as his grandfather was Bandmaster aboard the U.S.S. Olympia. Dan has worked for the U.S. Postal Service and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. For a time, he owned a gym in Jenkintown, PA. For all of his adult life, until age took its toll, Dan was a bodybuilder and competitive weight lifter. He earned many trophies that were a testament to his fitness and strength. Dan was a lifetime fan of his favorite football teams: Notre Dame, Penn State, and the Philadelphia Eagles. If it was the weekend, nothing got in the way of football games.
Dan and Jean moved from Jenkintown, PA, to Gettysburg in the 1990s, as Dan had studied the Battle of Gettysburg for years, and became very knowledgeable. He truly loved Gettysburg, and was an activist in Battlefield preservation efforts. Dan was a fearless advocate for the sanctity of the Battlefield when it was threatened with inappropriate, encroaching development. Dan’s mind was a treasure trove of Battlefield stories, which he loved writing about. Dan wrote a book called “Can You Find It”, a compendium with hints and photos of out-of-the-way places on the Battlefield. It challenges readers to find the various sites.
Dan owned and operated a shop in Gettysburg for ten years called “Frankly My Dear”, which sold memorabilia from the movie ‘Gone With the Wind’. His shop had many devoted fans from near and far
Dan and Jean traveled often to New Orleans and Cajun country in south Louisiana, as they both loved the music, dancing and Cajun
Mardi Gras celebrations. These trips were a highlight of enjoyment for Dan and Jean in their years together.
Most of all, Dan loved his home with Jean and loved planting and tending trees and other greenery on their property. Those wishing to honor Dan’s memory are invited to plant a tree in his honor, donate to the Adams County Library System, or donate to Mercy House Hospice in Chambersburg, PA. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.
Funeral plans will be private and are incomplete at this time.