In memoriam: Daniel Greeley
Today was a hard day at the Land Trust Alliance. Daniel Greeley, our good friend and a shining light on the Alliance’s development team, is no longer with us. He quietly passed on April 18. We now live in a world where Daniel isn’t here as the team cheerleader, the tough-question asker and the competitive cookie baker. It seems almost impossible.
Daniel loved many things: his puggle, Cinnamon; visiting as many national parks as possible (he was closing in on 100); and the astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Last night, when I learned of Daniel’s passing, I went out and looked up at the sky, staring at the stars. Working in land conservation, you sometimes forget to look up. But as I gazed toward the stars, I thought about Daniel. Even as someone who overcame tremendous physical challenges, he remained the most positive person I’ve ever met — someone who was unfailingly cheerful at 7 am (without coffee!) and always eager to chat with anyone who happened to be around.
He was relentless in his pursuit of information, a trait that made him excel in his work. Daniel latched onto ideas and refused to let go until he had everything he needed. I remember for his birthday last year, he decided he wanted to learn to kayak. He spent weeks researching his options for models and safety courses, yet still feared he wouldn’t be able to properly roll the kayak in an emergency. And that became a sticking point for him.
So when he learned that I own a kayak, Daniel invited himself to my house one Saturday morning. With his dog in tow, Daniel sat in the kayak, pretending to paddle the currents. (For added effect, I wobbled the kayak!) Once he’d gathered all the information he sought, we sat talking and having breakfast together. That I’ll never again share great conversation with Daniel — or watch him kayaking — breaks my heart.
The problem with really bright stars is that sometimes they fade faster than others. Daniel was an especially bright star in my life and within the Alliance constellation. He packed his 29 years full of accomplishments (including achieving the rank of Eagle Scout) and lived each to the fullest. Daniel continues to inspire his family, friends and colleagues to shine brightly.
When you visit your next park, bake your next cookie or pet a little dog, I ask you to do so with a little extra love. Do it in memory of Daniel. Do it so that Daniel’s light will continue to live on within us all.
Mindy Tuttle is associate director of donor operations for the Land Trust Alliance.