Daniel McNamara

Daniel Richard McNamara was born on April 19, 1922 and passed away on March 19, 2016 at the age of 93. Dan grew up in Montello, the only son of Vincent and Margaret McNamara. He graduated from Montello High School in 1939. While attending college at the University of Wisconsin, Dan joined the Army to fulfill his passion to fly. After completing his flight training, Dan was assigned to teach the African American cadets how to fly at Tuskegee, Alabama. The cadets from Tuskegee went on to become famous as the Tuskegee Airmen.

Once his military career was completed, Dan returned to University of Wisconsin and completed his undergraduate degree while he was attending law school. After law school, Dan owned and operated a car lot in Portage, Wisconsin where he met Joan Louise Crossley, who became his wife and mother of their four children: Mike, Tom, Jim and David. Dan later went into the practice of law with his father who along with his grandfather, practiced law in Montello. All of Dan's adult life he was constantly buying, selling, trading airplanes, airplane parts, or automobiles, while he practiced law.

Dan is survived by his sons: Mike (Sandi), Tom and David (Gina). He is also survived by grandchildren: Michelle, Erica (Abel), Gabriela, Haley, Emily and Daniela as well as great-grandchildren: Jonathan, Grace and Charlotte. Dan was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Jim.

Dan loved growing up and living in Montello. He helped many people who could not afford to pay him for his legal services and often bartered with clients taking automobiles, food, guns or whatever a client could trade in return for legal assistance. Many times the trade was a promise to help Dan out sometime in the future.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Dan on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Montello, this would have been his 94th birthday. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until the hour of service. Father Tim Renz will preside and inurnment with full military honors by American Legion Post 351 of Montello will follow at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery, town of Montello. In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to the Montello Historical Preservation Society, P.O. Box 473, Montello, WI 53949.

Crawford Funeral and Cremation Service of Montello and Oxford is honored to be serving the family. www.CrawfordFH.com

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Previous Events

Visitation
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Mass of Christian Burial
Tuesday, April 19, 2016