|
 Dan
was born in 1969, in Framingham, Massachusetts, the youngest
of four boys – Michael, Ken, Ron and Dan. With 10 years
between Michael and himself, Dan was the baby of the family.
Childhood was lively – a supportive home, parents and
brothers who cared for each other and where sticking together
as family was most important. These values stuck with Dan,
who until his untimely death at the age of 37 was a devoted
son, calling his parents whenever he was on the road, to say
hello, to see how they were, and to say “I love you.”
In 1987, Dan was the last of the four boys
to leave home for college, and it took him a while to find
his path. Beginning at Babson Business School in Massachusetts…
then leaving for six months to build docks in Rhode Island…
then off to Israel, where he worked on a military outpost
in the Negev desert working on the front ends of trucks –
something he learned how to do a bit from his father. Finally,
in 1989, he returned home to the US, and transferred to the
University of Rhode Island where he found his true passion
– Indonesia and Southeast Asian studies. He spent a
summer at Cornell University studying Indonesian language
in depth, and graduated from URI with a degree in Linguistics
and Southeast Asian Studies.
 But
Dan finally found himself… he really “came home”
when after college he traveled to Indonesia – studying
at University there, using his fluent Indonesian to teach
English to Indonesian graduate students who were preparing
to come to the States. During this time Dan worked as a journalist
for Indonesian Business Weekly news magazine. As luck –
or fate – would have it, an Indonesian professor of
Dan’s at Cornell had a beautiful niece living in Jakarta,
Lidia. The two were introduced, they dated for a year, and
they were married in November of 1993. Their daughter, Nova,
was born the following November. Dan made friends easily,
and his time in Indonesia was wonderful – Lidia said
he fit into Indonesian culture and society even better than
most Indonesians.
In 1996, Dan, Lidia and Nova returned to
the States. And in 2000, their family grew to include their
second daughter, Sonia.  After
settling for a short time in Rhode Island, they moved to Washington
DC, and then Maryland. For many years Dan worked at USINDO
– the US Indonesian Society – organizing trade
missions and accompanying US dignitaries there. It was important
to Dan that he make a difference in the world and feel that
that his work mattered, and indeed it did. In 2002, Dan took
his expertise of Indonesia and the politics of the region
to work as a Congressional Aide at the U.S. House of Representatives
where he served as a professional staff member in the office
of Congressman Dan Burton, in the Foreign Affairs Committee
on Government Reform. He was happy living in Maryland and
being able to avail himself of Washington DC’s great
cultural opportunities. He loved the “action “on
the hill and his work for Representative Burton gave him the
opportunity to contribute in a meaningful and rewarding way.
And until his death on July 28, 2006, Dan was making a difference
in the world.
Although Dan’s life was too brief,
he was fortunate to have achieved contentment and success
within his allotted time. He left a lovely wife and two beautiful
daughters, and a loving family. We all take comfort in the
knowledge that Dan’s 37 years were well spent.
Ricki
Getz (Dan’s mother), August 18, 2007
with portions excerpted from a eulogy delivered on July 30,
2006
by Cantor Rosalie Boxt, Temple Emanuel, Kensington, Maryland
|
