With family and friends by his side, Daniel F. Luttgens passed away on October 28, 2018 at the age of 69 in Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia.
Dan was born on September 15, 1949, in Elizabeth, NJ, to Frederick and Helen Luttgens. Dan spent much of his childhood boating and sailing on the New Jersey waterways near Elizabeth. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served a tour of duty performing navigation duties on the USS Francis Marion. After his service in the miliarty, Dan married Maria Niemczyk and they raised three children.
Dan worked hard as an electrician and mechanic. He was always tinkering, fixing, building, and learning. He was an avid mariner, having owned, maintained, and enjoyed a number of boats continuously for over 50 years. Dan also enjoyed amateur astronomy, having built and used telescopes to view and capture the stars.
Dan’s health took a hit in 2001 when he had a major heart attack. He recovered after a few years, once he decided to take charge of his health. Over the course of those years, Dan went from walking 30 feet to walking 30 miles. He loved being out on a dirt trail in the winding woods. When boat ownership became a little too much, Dan was able to enjoy several years of amazing vacations with his family, including trips to Hawaii, Alaska, the Caribbean, Italy, Greece and Turkey.
Sadly, mother nature caught up with Dan. Remnants of the wounds he healed somehow came back to take him from us. In 2016 he suffered a stroke that initally left him speechless. He partially recovered, and meanwhile became a Grandpa while he enjoyed a couple more years of life until God called him home.
Dan is survived by his wife, Maria, and three children, Jason, Valerie, and Jennifer, and one grandchild, Joshua.