From Orangeyes' Family

[SUfanNC]

Thank you OE for being you, although I have never met you, you made this place a better place! I hope that I can lighten others as you have obviously done.

 

[Marsh01]

It's been a long day. As most of you know my father, Dan, Orangeyes passed away this morning. He stared down his 4th surgery right in the eye on June 20th after 88 days in the hospital. Due to reasons even the doctors don't understand he experienced multiple issues that he eventually succumbed to this morning. The doctor's, nurses and staff at Crouse Hospital did everything in their power to help my father battle for his life the last 2 weeks. And battle he did. I have never seen strength in another human being the way I witnessed in my father. Doctor's said for days there was no medical information to support how he was still alive. A nurse today said in all of his years in the ICU he has never seen a person fight to live more than my father. As we all know he had an extremely strong heart. It still feels like a raw deal but we have a very strong family and friends that have and will continue to support us. Many of the friends and supporters come from this site which my father was fiercely proud of and valued all of your friendships. So after 110 days in the hospital, as one poster put it, he is with Ernie Davis. He was an amazing son, husband and father. I have read all of your kind words today in my lowest of hours and it has given me great pride and strength. Some of your posts have brought me to tears. You are all amazing people. My father was always looking for and delivering scoops and inside information. So in his honor I will give you all one last scoop from OE. His services will be held Tuesday from 4-7 pm at Buranich Funeral Home in Camillus. A mass will be held for him at Holy Family in Camillus at 10 am on Wednesday. He will be buried at Greenlawn Cemetary in Warners. When we viewed his final resting place, it looked just like a golf course. We heard a train blowing it's horn in the distance which sounded like the Express. We all said this is his perfect resting place. All of you are welcome to celebrate my father's amazing life. A side note. My mother and father will be celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary this Friday July 18th. Pretty fitting if you ask me. LGO! War Damn OE! Thank you Nico. He loved and respected you. http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1069361#.U8HC1VLQeAW Thank you Mike. Your articles are amazing. http://www.syracuse.com/orangebaske...e_fan_dan_johnson_faces_major_surgery_on.html http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/201...hnson_man_behind_ernie_davis_statue_dies.html Dan's Obituary http://obits.syracuse.com/obituarie...px?n=daniel-m-johnson&pid=171705780&fhid=4680 Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician piece http://www.nunesmagician.com/2014/7...n-Dan-johnson-syracuse-fan-ernie-davis-orange Dan's New York State USSSA Hall of Fame bio http://www.nysusssa.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/manager-coach/Dan-Johnson.htm

Your dad was the best. I had the pleasure of golfing with him as well as watching games with him. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. He will be missed

 

[Rocco]

He will be missed dearly. A true Syracuse fan to the core and incapable of ever wavering off of his Orange roots. Hopefully he is playing a round of golf right now.

Godspeed to your family and may his legacy live on forever...

 

[SUintheVille]

OO, on this board, I never knew you were OE's son. Maybe I didn't pay close enough attention. My sincere condolences to you and your family. Your dad will forever live in everyone's heart and mind, with many great memories. Celebrate all the good times. God bless you and Dan in heaven!

 

[Antiprodigy]

Onions,

You can never imagine the number of lives that your father has touched in his life, but I'm sure that the number would be staggering if you could know what it was. I too, never met your father, but over many iterations of this board, have followed the posts of your father for years, eagerly starting my day with the results of his hard work, and love of the Orange.

Greatness is seldom recognized in a man till he is gone. We were fortunate to find it out before left us.

I know it is of little comfort in your time of loss, but your father will not be soon forgotten within this community, and will certainly never be able to be replaced.

 

[AZOrange]

Thanks Onions. I live in Phoenix, AZ now (where I met Bruno Lucchese and his wife this winter). Any other east coast location and I would have been there (lived in New Jersey until 5 years ago). I know so many of your emotions as I lost my mom a few weeks ago. Also not in a way I expected, and after some amazing strength in recovery, just as you express here. In some ways that makes it hard as you start to thing they are invincible. I almost flew into Syracuse when I went back east for her funeral and if I did I was going to stop and visit your dad. But I ended up flying into NJ and then driving upstate. I'm from Gloversville, and that is where her funeral was.
Maybe I'll get to meet you at the Fine (hopefully renamed after your father by then) tailgate in October when I am in for the Fl. State game. I was going to have dinner with your dad and Peggy (bballbeadle) then. There will be an empty chair at that dinner, and an extra glass of wine will be drunk in his honor!!
Condolences.

Really sorry to hear that LL.

 

[capeorange]

I never met your father but he was a part of my morning routine. I really enjoyed his links and insight on SU basketball and football.
I'm sorry for your loss and your family is in my thoughts and prayers.

War Damn OE!

 

[NRF527]

It's been a long day.

As most of you know my father, Dan, Orangeyes passed away this morning. He stared down his 4th surgery right in the eye on June 20th after 88 days in the hospital. Due to reasons even the doctors don't understand he experienced multiple issues that he eventually succumbed to this morning. The doctor's, nurses and staff at Crouse Hospital did everything in their power to help my father battle for his life the last 2 weeks. And battle he did. I have never seen strength in another human being the way I witnessed in my father. Doctor's said for days there was no medical information to support how he was still alive. A nurse today said in all of his years in the ICU he has never seen a person fight to live more than my father. As we all know he had an extremely strong heart. It still feels like a raw deal but we have a very strong family and friends that have and will continue to support us. Many of the friends and supporters come from this site which my father was fiercely proud of and valued all of your friendships. So after 110 days in the hospital, as one poster put it, he is with Ernie Davis.

He was an amazing son, husband and father.

I have read all of your kind words today in my lowest of hours and it has given me great pride and strength. Some of your posts have brought me to tears. You are all amazing people.

My father was always looking for and delivering scoops and inside information. So in his honor I will give you all one last scoop from OE. His services will be held Tuesday from 4-7 pm at Buranich Funeral Home in Camillus. A mass will be held for him at Holy Family in Camillus at 10 am on Wednesday. He will be buried at Greenlawn Cemetary in Warners. When we viewed his final resting place, it looked just like a golf course. We heard a train blowing it's horn in the distance which sounded like the Express. We all said this is his perfect resting place. All of you are welcome to celebrate my father's amazing life.

A side note. My mother and father will be celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary this Friday July 18th. Pretty fitting if you ask me.

LGO!

War Damn OE!

Thank you Nico. He loved and respected you.

http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1069361#.U8HC1VLQeAW

Thank you Mike. Your articles are amazing.

http://www.syracuse.com/orangebaske...e_fan_dan_johnson_faces_major_surgery_on.html

http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/201...hnson_man_behind_ernie_davis_statue_dies.html

Dan's Obituary

http://obits.syracuse.com/obituarie...px?n=daniel-m-johnson&pid=171705780&fhid=4680

Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician piece

http://www.nunesmagician.com/2014/7...n-Dan-johnson-syracuse-fan-ernie-davis-orange

Dan's New York State USSSA Hall of Fame bio

http://www.nysusssa.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/manager-coach/Dan-Johnson.htm

 

[NRF527]

RIP Dan.

 

[djorange1989]

I wish I had the chance to meet your dad, a great man and a great Orangeman. It is quite obvious what a man of great strength he was and it's also quite obvious that you share that quality. You will be able to carry on his legacy quite well. My condolences to you and your entire family.

 

[VAOrange]

My condolences to you and your family. It is true that it is hard to lose a parent, but he will always be in your heart. RIP Dan.

 

[br801]

My condolences to you and your family, OrangeOnions.

Your father's passions always came through in his posts on SU sports and other topics. I can't recall him ever writing anything harsh or judgmental about one of his teams or an athlete or an opponent, which is pretty remarkable these days. It was clearly about more than the scoreboard for him, and that's something to be celebrated.

May he rest in peace and always have the best seat in the house.

 

[Chip]

Very nice tribute, still pretty bummed about this.

I did have the pleasure of meeting him a few times. One thing I remember is that he was always out late with us at those Joyce events when most normal people went home. He wasn't drinking himself into a stupor like we idiots were, he just liked hanging out talking to us, talking SU football, or watching us constantly making fun of each other. Probably enjoyed the sideshow.

As someone, or probably multiple people said, the top of the board will never be the same. My condolences to you and your family in this difficult week. As someone who lost his father earlier than I was supposed to, all I can say is that you get inspired by all the love and support, and that each day gets a little bit easier.

 

[CuseGrad94]

OO

God Bless you and your family. Your dad was so much a part of my morning routine and I truly appreciate everything he did to make my day better even though we never met. RIP Dan

 

[dollarbill44]

Like many on here, I only knew your Dad from this forum, but it was obvious what kind of guy he was. He was loved by all on here and he will be sorely missed. My condolences to you and your family and friends. God bless you Dan! Go Orange!

 

[Faegan]

My condolences to you and your family... it hasn't been the same around here since he went into the hospital, aside from the days when he was able to participate. Though I never met him in person, he was always one of the most gracious people to interact with on the board. God bless.

 

[bballbeadle]

I can't believe he's gone! Please accept my condolences on the loss of a wonderful father, man, friend and fan. I am in the Canadian Rockies. Because we had no internet until yesterday, I didn't know until then that Dan had died. I now feel so glad I visited him in the hospital!

Although your dad suffered and struggled, I hope you'll understand when I say that I believe he also received a gift. Dan received so many visitors, and had so many people thinking about him, writing about him, that it was almost as if he had a chance, like Tom Sawyer, to attend his own funeral. He was able to receive all the love, the caring, the accolades. He knew he was admired and cherished. I am sorry for his long stay in the hospital, but it gave him an opportunity that few of us have. And he was appreciative! He felt the love and the honor, and it gladdened his heart.

I don't believe this board will ever be the same, but we will carry on in his name. Thank you for taking the time to write to us.

War damn OE!

 

[Consigliere]

Onions -

I've often said that this community seems more like a family than a faceless internet message board and your Dad was a big part of that family. I recall one of the first tailgate festivities I attended with the Fine Lot crew. I'd met a handful of board members at the Big East tournament a couple of times but really didn't know anyone that well. I was there with my son (CuseHazard) and we mostly stayed off to the side without mingling much at all. Dan saw (sensed?) this and came over to us, introduced himself and was basically our mother hen the rest of the day sharing some wonderful stories and making sure he introduced us to many of the others in attendance. Over the years I've seen him do the same with other newbies and lurkers who, like me, came in feeling a bit like an outsider and in a matter of hours felt like part of a tight circle of friends.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with you and your family in tribute to one of the most special individuals I've ever had the privilege to meet.

 

[sufandu]

Been off of the board for a little while, so just saw the news today. You and your family are in my prayers.

 

[Blood Orange]

RIP Mr. Johnson.

Always be like a 2nd dad to me.

 

[AlaskaSU]

Sad news. I'm feeling blue thinking of Dan's premature passing, and unfortunately others, and the world news does not help. But today the strangest thing happened and I'd like to interpret it as a little miracle, as a reminder that we do not know all there is to know. I feed a blue jay with dried corn. This sea shell was left on a little table at the landing to my stairs. I have a rock with some large snail shells and then this little one, completely unlike any I have seen locally, shows up the morning after I put an ear of dried corn out for the Jay. If the shell were dropped from height it would have bounced off the little metal table. If it fell on the gravel it would have never been seen. It was placed to be seen and no human was here between last night and this morning. .