Daniel S. Keary

Dan, 60, passed away Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, at his home, with his loving family holding his hand. He died seven years after he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Dan is survived by his adoring wife, Sheila (McGuire), son, Patrick and his fiancee, Jen Lewis, of Hopkinton; daughter, Lisa of Stoneham; and sister, Jane Murphy and her fiance, John McCarthy, of Wilmington, N.C. He was the devoted uncle of Sharon Miller (Scully), Rebecca Scully, Bridget Scully, Katie Honikel, Joseph Feeley, Jessica Feeley, DeeAnn Behnke, Analica Behnke, Sean Behnke and Melina Behnke. Born in Fort Fairfield, Maine, on Feb. 9, 1951, Dan grew up with his parents, Jim and Jean, and sister, Jane, in Presque Isle, Maine. This place remained special to him his entire life and he always recalled his youth fondly. In 1969, he graduated from Presque Isle High School and the family sold their potato farm and moved to Cape Cod, where they purchased the Green Spot Garden Center. Dan went off to college at Saint Anselm and graduated in 1973, with a bachelor of arts in history, a subject that he continued to enjoy throughout his life though it did not figure into his career. Dan went back to school and in 1975, a couple of things happened that would forever impact his life. In that year, he graduated from Stockbridge School of Agriculture and married his beautiful bride, Sheila McGuire. In 1978, Dan and Sheila purchased the Green Spot from Jim and Jean, and ran it until his illness caused him to retire in 2004. The Green Spot was a business, but to Dan it was so much more than that. It combined his love for horticulture and people on a daily basis. When Dan did retire, he finally had time to pursue his passion for gardening and spent his days at home in his yard and gardens. Dan had many other interests as well. He was a die-hard Boston sports fan. He loved keeping up with and discussing both past and current events. He loved being with family and friends anywhere he could and was proud to know them all. He especially enjoyed spending time with his numerous nieces and nephews, and dispensing enduring words of wisdom (MAP, sacred cows, proper squirrel care, and so much more). He would spend time with them and the rest of the family on the Cape, Key West and in the Adirondacks, whenever he could. Throughout his retirement and illness he made trips with the family out west to Utah, New Mexico, and Montana, and traveled to Ireland. During the later years especially, he and Sheila made Key West a second home and created lasting memories as they enjoyed life together. The two of them embodied everything a husband and wife should. His sharp sense of humor endeared him to many. Even as his illness progressed he kept this same infectious sense of humor and enjoyed life. Dan made friends wherever he went, whether it be to the Green Parrot or Oak Barrel for a frosty beverage, Dana Farber for a treatment, or Dunkin Donuts for his coffee. Friends and relatives are invited to call Monday, Jan. 9, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Hallett Funeral Home, 273 Station Ave., South Yarmouth. A funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 11 a.m., at Our Lady of the Highway Church on Rte. 28 at Forest Road in South Yarmouth. During his illness, Dan received exceptional care, both medically and personally, from Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Hospice of Cape Cod. Donations in his memory may be made to either Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney St., Boston MA 01880, or Hospice of Cape Cod, 765 Attucks Lane, Hyannis, MA 02601.