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Dan Lennon of Hampton Bays died Sunday, February 25, after suffering pulmonary edema in his sleep, according to his parents. An artist, an athlete, a mentor, a friend, and a father, he was 44.
Mr. Lennon was a well-known member of the Hampton Bays community. The second oldest son of Judy and Tom Lennon, he graduated from Hampton Bays High School in 1991, and returned there six years later as an art teacher, after earning his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Wilkes University and his master’s from Dowling College. Mr. Lennon taught in the school for 17 years, leaving his position in December 2016. During his time at the school, if he wasn’t in his classroom, Mr. Lennon could be found on the athletic fields, serving as both a football and track and field coach for 15 years.
Sports and art were two of Mr. Lennon’s biggest passions in life. He was a standout three-sport athlete at Hampton Bays, serving as captain of the football, basketball and track teams, according to his father.
Mr. Lennon’s youngest brother, Mike, was still a student at Hampton Bays when Mr. Lennon started teaching there. Their mother recalled the impression her second oldest son made on the peers of her youngest son.
“All of Mike’s friends that Danny coached and taught loved him because he was the cool teacher,” Ms. Lennon said. “He was the guy they could identify with.”
During the summer months, Mr. Lennon worked for many years as an ocean lifeguard at Ponquogue Beach, and was the chief lifeguard there for 12 years. His parents remembered him making rescues even when he was off duty, and how one family stayed in touch with him for years after he pulled their father from the water.
Whether he was teaching, coaching or making art, Mr. Lennon approached life with passion, his parents said. His mother recalled his natural artistic talent, saying he loved to create oil paintings of beach landscapes.
“He was always playing sports,” she said. “He was involved in everything, and on the other end, he was an artist. If he put the time into his art that he put into sports, it would have been unbelievable. When a project was due, at the last minute he’d throw something together and then turn in something beautiful.”
Fellow teachers and coaches who were close with Mr. Lennon spoke about his commitment to the community and students he taught and coached. Mike Oestreicher, a teacher in the district, was the head coach of the varsity football team for several years when Mr. Lennon was the offensive coordinator, and they became close.
“Danny was a very special person,” Mr. Oestreicher said. “He was immensely talented, a good man, and someone who impacted everyone he came into contact with. He influenced countless students, artists and athletes in so many ways.
“Danny always wanted the very best for the Hampton Bays community,” he continued. “I consider myself lucky to be able to say he was my friend.”
Pete Meehan, another longtime teacher and coach in the district, had similar things to say about Mr. Lennon.
“He was a talented teacher and a dedicated coach,” he said. “It’s rewarding to be a teacher and a coach, but to do it where you went to school makes it that much more special.
“Danny was a Bayman,” he added. “He rooted hard for all Hampton Bays teams.”
“He loved life,” the elder Mr. Lennon said of his son. “He loved it a little too much. He just loved the good times with friends; it’s just the way he was. He was full throttle, no matter what he did.”
Mr. Lennon is survived by his parents, Tom and Judy Lennon, three brothers, Tommy, Matt and Mike Lennon, and two daughters; Keeley Lennon, 16, and Meegan Lennon, 14.
Visitation is on Friday, March 2, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Scott-Rothwell Funeral Home in Hampton Bays. A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, March 3, at 10:30 a.m. at the Church of St. Rosalie in Hampton Bays.
on Feb 28, 2018