Daniel (Dan) Anthony Reagan's Obituary
Daniel Anthony Reagan, (Dan) passed on his 73rd birthday, April 22, 2024. He was born to Elizabeth Jane Reagan and Robert Morgan Reagan in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Dan was the 4th of 13 children, reared on a small farm in south Fayetteville, now called the Reagan Family Farm. During his youth, two of the family farm’s fences were Fayetteville city limits. The house was built by the builder of Old Main, and still contains knotless pine lumber used in Old Main construction and sawed at the War Eagle Mill. Like his brothers and sisters, he grew up working the farm, including hand-milking cows, feeding hogs, weeding the garden, mowing the yard, building fence and putting up hay
Dan ordered his small portion of the world. His shop was well equipped and spotless. Dan was adept at the use of tools and equipment. He loved a smooth running, well-maintained machine. Friends and family talk about his skills as a backhoe operator, a task he did while working for the city of Fayetteville.
Dan’s final year was spent in an assisted-living facility in Pea Ridge, AR, a place he grew to love and whose staff found him one of their favorites. How often do staff visit the room of a tenant, after he has passed, with tears in their eyes, exclaiming how much they loved Dan and how ineffably polite and accommodating he was?
The same goes for his incredibly kind Circle of Life hospice nurses and social worker who tended him in his final months, helping him, gently, to come to terms with his passing. The family members who sat with him in the Bentonville hospice facility, during his final day, his birthday, were struck by the social worker who visited his room three times, talking to him and touching him, a one-way conversation, as he made his way out of this world. Her final act of kindness exemplified how he reached into and touched their lives, and they his: She came into his room holding her phone, telling us that his hospice nurse was on the speaker and wanted to talk to Dan. The nurse had been ill and was unable to visit in person. The social worker held the phone to Dan’s ear and the nurse held another one-way conversation with Dan, telling him many times how much she loved him.
Dying is not on anyone’s wish list, but we all do. Some are lucky enough to be attended and guided out of this world by family and friends. Dan Reagan was one of those lucky people. Given the love expressed to Dan, he arguably brought that luck upon himself through politeness, accommodation and returned love.
Dan was a Navy veteran. His ashes will be interred at the Fayetteville National Cemetery.
Dan Reagan’s parents, Elizabeth and Robert, and his oldest brother, Robert, preceded him in passing. His living kin include brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, uncles and aunts. Those include Mike, Paul, Mary, David, Catherine, Peter, Joseph, Elizabeth, John, Ann, Bill, Jim, Rachel, Philip, Kagan, Sean, Molly, Brian, Brad, Anders, Jonas, Jordan, Nate, Dylan, Emily, Katie, Zach, Sophia, B, Z, Colton, Hadley, Harper, Hope, Etta, Everly, Amelia, Sawyer, Reagan, Lillian and Annabeth.
At a future time, a memorial service will be held at the Reagan Family Farm.
Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Chapel in Fayetteville.
To place an online tribute, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com
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