Daniel Hodgson "Danny" Yeager

1949 - 2022

I'll love you dear, I'll love you, Till China and Africa meet, And the river jumps over the mountain, And the salmon sing in the street, Danny Yeager may never have read this exuberant stanza from an obscure W.H. Auden poem, yet he could have written it and he most certainly lived it. Like the poem, Danny was a spirited person who loved nature and his family and never hesitated to proclaim his devotion to both. He was a loyal son, a great father, a cool grandfather, and loving partner to Marcie, his life's companion. He was a champion to the children and parents he served as a therapist; an enthusiastic camper and fisherman who never let a torrential rainstorm or an unusually barren lake spoil his excitement. He stopped to introduce himself to strangers on every trail he walked. He cried at sad movies and laughed without restraint at funny ones. He kept his car immaculately clean. He said a prayer of gratitude every morning. Many folks have to labor hard to find the meaning of life. Not Danny. He was the meaning. He was born in Philadelphia on Dec. 2, 1949. His father, William Martin Yeager, was a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and World War Two veteran who later served as a flight instructor; his mom, Betsy Hodgson, was a former New Yorker magazine staff member. When his dad died in a pilot training accident in 1954, his mother moved Danny, his sister and two brothers to Pineville, Louisiana, Willie's hometown, where they grew up in a one-story ranch house off Yeager Drive. Betsy raised their four kids as a single mom while working at a brokerage firm. She later became one of the first licensed female stockbrokers in Louisiana history. After graduating from Bolton High School, Danny studied psychology and sociology at the University of Southwest Louisiana in Lafayette. It was there he met Marcie Fields, an undergrad from Baton Rouge, after he had the presence of mind to wipe her bicycle seat with his handkerchief after a rainstorm. They were married the following December and moved to Baton Rouge for graduate study in clinical social work at LSU. They returned to Lafayette after graduation, established a child and family therapy practice, and raised Rebekah and Jesse. Danny was an enthusiastic participant in the lives of both kids. When Jesse's middle school soccer team suddenly needed a coach, Danny learned the job on the fly. Years later, former players would call out "Hi Coach Dan!" when they saw him on the street. Jesse swears his dad never missed a soccer game, no matter how trivial, over a 14-year period. Kids---his own and others---got special attention. Danny taught more than a few how to kayak, fish and throw a casting net. If anyone needed a ride for any reason, day or night, Danny was happy to oblige, no questions asked. Danny and Marcie retired in 2018 to spend six months of the year with their kids and grandkids in Washington DC and Sherman, Connecticut. He still kayaked, fished for bass and yellow perch, crabbed in Chesapeake Bay, rooted for the New Orleans Saints (his mother's favorite team), drank non-alcoholic craft beer, and told dubious dad jokes and the notorious tales of Boudreaux and Thibodeaux, whose foolish adventures he found oddly endearing. He acquired a reputation as the grandchild whisperer for his ability to put grandkids to sleep on demand. He could almost sing. Daniel Hodgson Yeager died after a short illness at Sibley Hospital in Washington DC on Dec. 4, 2022, two days after his 73rd birthday. He is survived by his wife, Marcie Fields Yeager, daughter Rebekah Yeager Price, son Jesse Yeager, son-in-law Carter Price, daughter-in-law Emma Doughan Yeager, and five grandchildren: Charles, William and Maxwell Price; and Lilly and Jack Yeager; as well as his brothers William and Bruce, sister Betsyellen, and a large and loving extended family of nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws. He will be buried in a private ceremony in Sherman, Connecticut. To honor Danny's memory, we will be holding a celebration of his life in Lafayette on Dec. 28th. We invite anyone who knew him to join us for a memorial service at 1:30 pm at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 515 Cathedral Street, followed by a reception at The French Press, 214 E. Vermillion Street. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to donate to the charity of your choice. Danny liked to support organizations that help children such as the Boys and Girls Club of Acadiana and Miracle Feet. 1940 poem by W.H. Auden, W.H. Auden, As I Walked Out One Evening.