Daniel Karr
October 18, 2019
Rockport, MA - After a rich, long life, Daniel D. Karr, age 93, died on
October 18, 2019, at Den Mar in Rockport. After more than 50 years on Summer
Street in Rockport, Massachusetts, Dan and his sister Althea moved to The
Residence at Riverbend in 2015. Althea died in 2017, and Dan recently moved
to Den Mar, back in Rockport, where he enjoyed the return to the salt air.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, on July 14, 1926, to Alfred and Thelma Karr, Dan
showed an early interest in nature. His education was interrupted by a call
to World War II, where he served aboard the USS Chicago in the Pacific
campaign, with the U.S. Navy. Dan returned stateside to complete high school
in his early 20s. After working in New Jersey into the 1950s, Dan moved to
Rockport, Massachusetts in his 30s to care for his mother. When he inherited
his mother's home, he built an art studio for his sister Althea, and a
wood-shop/darkroom for his own work. They shared the home on Summer Street
for more than 50 years. Dan was a member of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, The
Sandy Bay Yacht Club, The Thacher Island Association, The Chorus North
Shore, and The Appalachian Mountain Club.
Dan sailed every fair-weather day at the Sandy Bay Yacht Club, where he
served on the racing committee. He raced his Hereschoff Bullseye sailboat
"The Dayspring" for 40 years, winning races well into his 80s. Dan was known
for his good judgement on the water. He also manned the shuttle to Thacher
Island. A lifelong member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Dan climbed
every mountain over 4,000 feet in the White Mountain National Forest at
least once, and climbed many peaks more than once. Dan was a regular usher
at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Rockport. He was active in the Cursillo
movement for much of his adult life. Dan sang in the Chorus North Shore for
50 years. Dan loved Cape Ann for the sea, for the forests, for the art
community. His guidance changed the direction of many lives. Dan enriched
his communities with his simple gifts of kindness, enthusiasm,
inquisitiveness and joy. His big laugh was rich and infectious. This
generous man will be deeply missed by his community in Rockport.
Memorial services will be held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Rockport on
Saturday, November 9, at 11 a.m. The service will be followed by a
reception. Family and friends are cordially invited. Arrangements are by the
Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester. For online
condolences, please visit
www.greelyfuneralhome.com
