Walter J. Daniels Jr. of North Haven Dies January 31

Walter J. Daniels Jr. of North Haven, the son of Margaret V. Cunningham and Walter J. Daniels, died peacefully at the East End Hospice Kanas Center for Hospice Care on Quiogue on January 31. He was 64. The cause of death was complications from COVID, pneumonia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

His mother died when he was a young boy, and several years after her death, his father, a well respected science teacher at Pierson High School, married retired United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Bessie Glembocki. The couple built a home in North Haven and raised him there.

Daniels was a special education student and was enrolled in the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC) Day Training Program at the age of 7, and from there was enrolled in the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, and graduated in 1979. He then attended the AHRC Workshop in Riverhead, until he moved to an Independent Group Home Living (IGHL) residence, where he lived for 34 years, and attended various workshops.

Daniels, known as Dapper, was sunshine on a rainy day, his family said. He would always greet friends and family with a happy smile, and one of his aides at IGHL lovingly called him “man on the go,” since he was always eager to start his next activity. He was very appreciative of visitors, and you could always count on him to thank you for the company, and the meal you might have shared together. He will be greatly missed by his family and the IGHL community, his family said.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Samprini, the head of the palliative care department at Peconic Bay Medical Center, for her insight and wisdom in caring for Walter, and the staff at Kanas Hospice Center. They are also grateful to the staff of the IGHL community and the managers and aides at The Moriches IRA and Canoe Place where he lived. The family will hold a memorial service later this year.