Livonia/Honeoye: Dan passed away suddenly of natural causes at his home at the age of 76. He is survived by his wife, Elyse (Wieder) Durkee, daughters Rebecca (Thomas) Sobek and Sarah (Nathan) Mehrens, son Matthew (Laura) Durkee, niece Renee (Alan) Crowden, nephews Charles (Alyssa) Wieder and Timothy (Jordanne) Wieder, along with 11 grandchildren.
Daniel was born in Rochester, NY, and spent his entire life in the Finger Lakes area. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from SUNY Geneseo in 1969. From 1970 to 2005, he taught junior high science at Livonia Central School. In 1980, the Genesee Valley Teacher Association honored Daniel with the Teacher of the Year Award.
Dan met the love of his life, Elyse while attending SUNY Geneseo. They married on August 1, 1970. In 1978, Dan put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which set him on a lifelong journey as a disciple of the Lord. This gave him a new way to use his teaching gifts as he shared his faith and encouraged others every day of his life. In his later years, Dan focused on creating a lasting family legacy of memories, experiences, relationships, and faith.
He was a man of many talents. Dan enjoyed gardening, farming, hunting, helping others, telling “dad jokes,” spending time with his family, sharing his faith, and most of all, he loved the Lord.
Friends and family are invited to call from 10-12 PM on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at the Kevin W. Dougherty Funeral Home, 8624 Main Street in Honeoye, where Dan’s memorial service will take place immediately following calling. Burial will be private.
Memorial contributions may be made to: CompassCare Pregnancy Services 2024 W. Henrietta Rd., Suite 6D Rochester, NY 14623, (585) 232-2350. Or the Richmond Fire Department 4830 County Rd 36, P.O. Box 469, Honeoye, NY 14471, (585) 229-5192.
To send a condolence or share a memory, please visit www.doughertyfuneralhomes.com
Dear Elyse and family,
My heart is saddened to learn of Dan’s sudden passing . My love and prayers go out to you all, There is no doubt in my mind that Dan was welcomed home with a loving embrace by his Heavenly Father as He said to Dan “ Well done , good and faithful servant.” He lived his faith and loved his family above all. It was a gift and blessing to have been able to teach alongside him on the COMBO Team. And his students benefited by his dedication to teaching science and caring nature for ALL students. I especially smile now as I picture him heading up the team softball games as he so often did !
May you all know how much he impacted the lives of his students and those of us who were part of his Middle School “family” .Love and prayers,
Mary Jo and Dave Dussault
Elyse and family,We are so sorry to hear of Dan’s passing. I always enjoyed chatting with Dan. Whether we talked about teaching, mutual friends, etc it was always a fun conversation..Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.
I have fond 4H and homeschooling memories when our families spend time together. A memory that really sticks out is the time our families and Kranz family processed chickens together. I remember it as a time of fun, teamwork and productivity. Sad for your loss
So sorry to hear of Dan’s passing. He will surely be missed by so many Livonia students and staff. Dan always led with his heart and his strong Christian faith.He lived his faith each day.
RIP Dan. I remember teaching down the hall from you in 73-74. I send my condolences to Elyse and your family. You are all in my prayers.
Extremely sorry to learn the sad news of Dan’s passing. Whenever we saw each other in Town, Dan always had an encouraging word to lift my spirits up when I was down, often quoting from the Scriptures. Our loss is Heaven’s gain. Fly high among the angels, Dan.
I’m sorry for your loss of a great husband n father I’m sending My prayers for you All .He was a great junior high school science teacher amazing Man he will be missed dearly. God bless his family
We are so sorry for your loss. May you all experience the Lord’s peace and comfort in this time of loss. Please know you are all in our prayers.
My condolensces to his family. He was a very kind and caring science teacher. I fondly remember his classes.
Please accept my prayers and best thoughts to Mr Durkee’s family and friends. He was a very good teacher, and a good guy. Best to Mrs Durkee.
He was an amazing teacher…. Sending healing energy and love to his family
Great teacher and role model for our students. Condolences to his family.
Sincerest condolences from Andrea Finocchario and Jason Dempsey. He was both of our favorite bio teachers, and was integral in our love of science and career choices. He was never a preacher, but you just knew he was a man of God. I remember having long discussions about evolution after school with he and Ken Allerton. He will be missed.
I remember Mr Durkee very well. He made me like science, didn’t think that was possible. He was a nice person and a very good teacher.
This is very sad news. Dan was a wonderful person and a great teacher.He is my cousin, so I knew him as family as well as a teacher at Livonia. I know he will be missed by his wife and children and friends. He was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and set a wonderful example to his students.
My deepest condolences to the family. I have the most wonderful memories of him in 7th grade biology class. He made science fun. And 5th grade I had his wife. My mom was the Avon lady. Oh, the memories….Rest in
Dan, my brother in Christ! So happy that you are walking with Jesus and so sad for those of us who will miss you! Thanks for all you taught me working together in Livonia. My prayers are with the entire Durkee family and all of Dan’s friends. May we all lean on Christ in this difficult time…. Chuck D’Imperio
Heartfelt condolences and thoughts to the family.
Phillip Bracchi
Jane & I send our love and prayers. God bless you! Love in Jesus, j&j
Sending my condolences to Mr. Durkee’s family. He was a wonderful science teacher and I’ll always remember his kindness and patience.
Dan Durkee leaves behind a wonderful legacy of a 7th grade Science Teacher. He loved Science, cared for his students, and taught with wisdom and laughter. Remembering him fifty years later…
Best teacher ever!! So.happy to hear that he has his relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ!