I was very saddened to hear this. My condolences to Brian and Melissa and the entire family. I used to be your babysitter back in the day and I remember how genuinely nice and funny your parents were. My prayers are with you❤️

As we sat and spoke about Dan, we tried to come up with a word to describe him. Let me tell you how we came to our conclusion…
Dan was born to Lillian and Frank Viola in Yonkers NY in 1939 raised in Mount Vernon and Ardsley. He was a good son and close brother to his sister Linda. After school he joined the AirForce and while stationed in Washington DC met his wife Donna. They married and decided to settle and raise their family in Eastchester to be near family and friends.
He found an industry that he excelled in and became a self-taught Millwright. The more challenging the job the more excited he was.
He purchased a home and did all of his own renovations including custom building his kitchen cabinets, something he had never attempted before. He had very interesting ideas of what his home would ultimately look like and created a space as unique as he was.
He had a love for music which ranged from jazz and classical to Devo, there was no set format. For a man who loved music as he did, he never learned to play an instrument. His record and CD collections are quite extensive.
Dan was an avid collector whose interests ranged from historical artifacts to a rattlesnake sculpture, his whaling harpoon to his jeep. He loved art including the original piece he purchased years ago in the village that he proudly displayed in his bathroom. He was thoughtful enough to take it down when his granddaughters came over.
He loved good wine, good food, good company and last but definitely not least a good martini. He would always say it’s a classy drink.
He was a free thinker, a problem solver and always in the most efficient manner. As advanced as his thinking was, he was also as low tech as his flip phone and his love of his glow-in-the-dark Timex watch. His recordkeeping was second to none thanks to his ever present “pocket ipad”. He could tell you exactly where and what he did on any day of the week going back to when he was a teenager.
He was an excellent gardener, a teacher, good friend and a wonderful parent.
He loved to share his historical knowledge, his gardens and his homes.
He most certainly did NOT like porcupines…
The words that describe him to us are Dad, Grandpa, loving partner and for everyone else it’s “Dan”

We are so sad and sending you our sincere condolences. He was such a great personality with a brillant mind and his humor will be unforgettable. We are with you in our thoughts.
Silent greetings Sibylle, Melissa and Tessa Deininger

To my beloved cousins, Brian and Melissa, and their dear families, David and I send our love and prayers for comfort in this time of grief. On this day, I am treasuring the memories of family visits with my two fun "city" cousins, my loving aunt, and my absolutely intriguing uncle whom I have always thought of as one of the last "Renaissance" men. My life has been so enriched because you all are in it. My heart and spirit are with you in this time of grief and every day. With much love and condolences, cousin Cassie

Dan was a rare person, in the best way. I've really been struggling trying to find the best words to string together about him, but I'm sure his friends and family know this already.

I feel fortunate to have gotten to know him over the past two years, yet deprived that I only had two, as I looked forward to his martinis, morning conversations in his garden, along with many other things. I'm going to greatly miss my 'favorite neighbor' as we'd say. The neighborhood already feels empty without him.

My deepest condolences to you all.