Daniel C. Nolan

Daniel Nolan, 61, of Waterford, CT passed away unexpectedly on March 1, 2024. He was born in Hartford, CT on July 29, 1962 and raised in Windsor, CT, graduating from Windsor High School in 1980. Dan joined the military upon his graduation from high school and served in the Army National Guard for 38 years. He started as an enlisted soldier and was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant prior to attending Officer Candidate School, from which he graduated at the top of his class and subsequently rose to the rank of Captain. During his time in the Army, he was deployed overseas three times, to Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. While serving in Iraq from 2006 to 2007, Dan was detached to the 130th Combat Engineer Battalion from Puerto Rico. He performed route clearance missions, which entailed searching the streets of Baghdad for Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's). Dan also served as the Commander of the 246th Fire Fighting Detachment at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Apache in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012, leading his soldiers in over 300 outside the wire missions. Dan was the recipient of many commendations for his service, most notably the Combat Action Badge and the Bronze Star. During his deployments overseas, Dan developed his own community outreach programs, in which he solicited the support of his friends and family back home to assist him in providing food, clothing, shoes, and toys to the poverty-stricken local villagers. He was honorably discharged from the Army National Guard in 2023.
Dan and his brother John were second generation firefighters, following in the footsteps of their father. Dan joined the Hartford Fire Department in 1984. He rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief of Training. Dan was one of the many Hartford firefighters who served at Ground Zero at the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attack on America. He was past president of the Hartford Fire Department Emerald Society and was actively involved in many organizations, including the Benevolent Society, the Police and Firefighters Association, the International Association of Firefighters, the Firefighter 20 Club, and the Hartford Firefighters Retirees Association. He retired in 2017 after 34 years of service.
Dan was a lifelong member of the Irish American Home Society in Glastonbury and was named Irish Person of the Year in 2005. He served as Vice President and worked on numerous committees. Because of the immense pride Dan took in his Irish heritage, he was particularly honored to be an integral part of the Irish History Committee, the annual Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade, and the Friendly Sons & Daughters of St. Patrick. He was instrumental to the success of the 2021 Capital Campaign and other strategic initiatives.
Dan made a profound impact on this world by his service to others. He was generous with his time and money, whether you were a friend, an acquaintance, or a total stranger. He was involved in countless charitable organizations, including the Cherish the Children local chapter, Amy's Angels, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Miami Project for paralysis, and many Veteran Support organizations. He was incredibly passionate about these and the many others with which he was involved. Closest to his heart was the Lea's Foundation for Leukemia Research, on which he served on the Board of Directors since its inception in 1998. Dan helped the Foundation raise over six million dollars throughout the years, which funded leukemia research and patient services. His greatest joy was in providing support to patients and their families. On behalf of the organization and individually, he provided financial and emotional support and maintained close relationships with these families until his untimely passing. In 2020, Dan was the recipient of the Lea's Foundation Heart of Honor Award in recognition of his efforts.
More than anything else, Dan loved sharing his time with family and friends. He enjoyed fishing, attending sporting events, and traveling, especially to Ireland. In addition to his extraordinary selflessness, Dan was known for his bravery, his loyalty, and his charm and charisma. He had a unique and unparalleled sense of humor, which included witty sarcasm and an immense love for playing pranks on others.
In addition to all the known gestures of Dan's kindness, innumerable ones were done quietly behind the scenes. Many examples of these are only now coming to light as others have shared stories as we mourn his loss. Undoubtedly, there are even more that will remain unknown. Our family is eternally grateful to the hundreds of people who have reached out to offer condolences and support and to those who have kept Dan and us in your thoughts and prayers. Please know how much we love and appreciate each and every one of you. Dan's loss will create a huge void in the lives of all who knew him. The best way for us to honor him is to carry on his legacy of generosity and service to others. Please consider doing charitable and random acts of kindness in his memory.
Dan leaves to mourn his passing his wife, Jill LeCheminant and stepdaughter Raven Atkinson of Waterford. He leaves his siblings, Noreen, Claire, and John and his wife Sue of Windsor, and Patsy of South Windsor. He also leaves his nieces and nephew, Ashley, Melissa, John, Erin, Angela, and Olivia, his aunt, Peggy Whitman of Suffield, several step nieces and nephews, and many cousins and treasured friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Dan and Nora, his sister, Margaret, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Friends may call at the Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home, 34 Beaver Road, Wethersfield, CT on Friday, March 15, 2024 from 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating Dan's life will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 10:00 A.M. at the Church of Incarnation, 544 Prospect St., Wethersfield, CT. Friends are asked to go directly to the church. Burial with full military honors will be at Windsor Veterans Memorial Cemetery immediately following the mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Lea's Foundation for Leukemia Research, 522 Cottage Grove Road – Building H Bloomfield, CT 06002, https://leasfoundation.org, or to the Irish American Home Society, Inc., 132 Commerce Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033. For further information, or to leave a condolence, please visit FarleySullivan.com.