Dana L. McCrary

1947 - 2016

Dana L McCrary January 21, 1947 - November 9, 2016 La Mesa Dana Lynn McCrary, GSMC USN (RET)Beloved Husband, Father and GrandfatherBorn in Fillmore, New York on a small dairy farm, Dana joined the US Navy after achieving his AA degree from Alfred College. He served almost 30 years in a career that included three combat tours; two in Viet Nam and one in Desert Storm. Awards included a Purple Heart and Navy Achievement Medal with a "V" device for Valor. The Navy sent him to San Diego after his first combat tour and he loved the city so much he never left. He met his wife Lynn through his second love, square dancing. Dana and Lynn raised four kids, traveled and danced across the country in RVs that grew in proportion with the family and summer trips planned around the locations of the national square dance conventions. Over the years he and Lynn shared the responsibility of President of the San Diego Square Dance association and as area VP of the California Square Dance Council. After retiring from the Navy Dana worked as a maintenance engineer for the La Mesa Spring Valley school district. He loved watching the Chargers and Petco Park; they bought Padres season tickets as soon as the trolley line to La Mesa was completed from downtown. He loved cars, especially classics and "piddling around" in his garage. He was often the one called when family and friends ran into issues with their cars, fixing them only for the cost of the parts as long as you stayed to chat while he worked.Dana is survived by his wife Lynn, two sisters and two brothers, four children; Bryon, Kirk, Christopher and Kimberly and six grandchildren.Memorial services will be held at 2pm December 3rd at Lemon Grove Methodist church. Interment will follow in the summer in the family cemetery in Freedom, New York.In lieu of flowers please donate to the local Parkinson's Foundation