Dan E. Derringer Jr.

DERRINGER Dan E. Derringer Jr. Son of Dan Edward Sr and Delia Verda (Smith) Derringer, was born September 29, 1922, in Columbus, OH. Died March 22, 2010, at Arlington Care Center in Newark, OH after a head injury suffered May 2009. Attended West Senior High in Columbus, graduating from Arlington High School in 1940. Dan enrolled at Ohio State University in September 1940 and in the Advanced ROTC in 1942. He was called into the Army in April 1943 to begin basic training at Camp Crowder, MO. Throughout his 4 years in the Army, he was stationed at several bases and officer training schools and was discharged in 1946 as a Lieutenant in the infantry. He returned to Ohio State, graduating with a degree in Industrial Engineering in 1948. His first job was with Michigan Bell in Saginaw MI where he met the love of his life, his future wife, Joyce Lee Burt. They were married September 3, 1949, in Saginaw MI. To this union were born three children. Dan had a long career with the Bell System. He was transferred to AT&T's headquarters in New York City in 1957 where he was assigned construction tools with emphasis on cable plows and trenching machines in order to make buried construction of wires practical and economical. In 1963 he was promoted to Outside Plant Engineer where he oversaw the development and use of precast manholes and the development of a multi-layer coaxial cable. In 1966 he was made FCC liaison where he was responsible for explaining all of AT&T Long Lines's construction projects to the FCC in Washington, D.C. In 1968 he was transferred to Kansas City as Facilities Projects Engineer where he was responsible for planning facilities with the 11 states covered by Southwestern Bell, Northwestern Bell and Mexico and Canada. He re-organized the district to provide clearer lines of responsibilities while eliminating 20% of the supervisory positions. In 1970 he was promoted to Engineering Manager-Construction back at headquarters in New York City. He chaired the group that selected and designed Long Lines's headquarters and move to Bedminster, NJ. In 1982 Dan retired from Long Lines and moved to the family farm in Alexandria, OH. Shortly after the move, he and Joyce built a home in Carefree, AZ. The two traveled between the two homes and to numerous countries and states until Joyce's death in December 2004. Survivors include Deborah and David Garza, Patricia Derringer- and Martin Matteo, and Dan E. III and Diana Derringer and seven grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, OH August 7, 2010. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Hospice of Central Ohio, 2269 Cherry Valley Rd., Newark, OH 43055 in memory of Dan and Joyce Derringer. OHIO CREMATION & MEMORIAL SOCIETY/RODMAN FUNERAL SERVICE.