Daniel A. Gavin -  devoted son of the late Dorothy and James Gavin;  beloved father of James (Jennifer) Gavin, Molly Christensen, Melissa (Michael) LaCoy and Francis and Kristin Kroll;  proud and cherished grandfather of Jack and Connor Gavin, Tess and Trevor Christensen, Gavin, Emily, Francesca and Vincent LaCoy and Gage Hollis and Reagan Lynn;  dear cousin and friend of many.  Funeral services will be private for family only and a celebration of life will be held in the future.  Arrangements by Cooney Funeral Home-847-685-1002 www.cooneyfuneralhome.com

EULOGY

Danny Gavin reminds me of absolutely NO ONE. And that's the highest compliment I can pay to anyone. On a planet that has seen authenticity and originality disappear at a faster rate than the ozone layer. Now, Danny was not perfect, but he never pretended to be, either. In fact, he would be the first one to call himself out on his own b.s.. He embraced imperfection in all of its forms, and in doing so, made those around him realize the importance and value of imperfection in the world as a whole. He lived his life one hundred percent in the moment. He couldn't be bothered by the past and the future wasn't something to be planned for or contemplated.  Danny despised predictability. He considered it the mortal enemy of everything that made life worth living.

As a regular viewer, I confess I would often have to turn away, expecting the worst possible scenario. But even when things blew up, you would eventually find Danny walking away from the smoldering wreckage, perhaps with a few cuts and scrapes, but overall pretty much intact. He would leave you shaking your head thinking, "How did he do that?," or just as often, "WHY did he do that.?" Ultimately, it didn't matter. He was going to live life on his own terms.

Impulsive: Check.

Impatient: Check.

Boring: NEVER..

Charismatic and generous to a fault, when times were good, Danny invited everyone to the party. If you were smart, you RSVPd yes. And if you were in a bind or needed a favor--regardless of how big or small.--he was the first person to not only offer help, but actually deliver, an endangered human quality. He seemed to know everybody--or at least somebody who knew everybody. And viola… Suddenly, your problem vanished. He got you the rent money. He got you the job. He got you the lawyer. Whatever.

Still, Danny was also prone to the occasional outburst that would make Connor McGregor look like Mr. Rogers. But even his legendary temper tantrums were short lived and his mind would quickly shift to some other pressing matter like what to have for lunch or what movie to see "at the show."

In his 78 plus years--these were not highway miles, by the way--Danny Gavin managed to managed to amuse, amaze, and inspire just about all who encountered him. He was both an enigma and--dare I say--predictable. I know my life is much richer for having known him. Now that he's gone, everything seems a bit off. I guess it was nice just knowing he was around.

But, then again, people like Danny never really leave.

Below are some memories and attributes of my dad from some of his kids.  He really was one of a kind. > > He had three kids: Jimmy and Molly from his first marriage with Kathy. > and me (Missy) from his marriage to my mom, Gay. Even though he divorced he maintained a close friendship and relationship with both Kathy and Gay. He was a caring stepdad to Frankie and Kristin. > > He loved time with his family and was such a proud grandfather to Tess, Trevor, Jack, Connor, Gavin, Emily, Francesca, Vincent, Gage & Reagan. > > From Missy (Melissa): > My dad was truly one of a kind. He was willing to give the shirt off his back to help anyone. He had the greatest sense of humor and the most contagious laugh.  He loved his children and grandchildren more than anything. > > He taught me, to be strong and independent. He was a loyal friend. He taught me to drive when I was 12 and was also the type of guy to trust us and hand over the keys and let us go for a ride-at an age before we should have. He made sure I learned to drive on a stick shift. > > He had my back more than anyone and was my greatest protector.  I always felt safe and secure and knew I could call my dad for anything. When I first started my job I discovered that he was following me around to make sure I was safe. When I was little he would let me come to work with him at the Airport. He also started his own pest control business which he was proud to pass onto the family.  We often spent day's together and he would bring me to work and showed me the value of 'mental health days.' > > We all have such fond memories of our fishing trips together and traveling to Ely, Minnesota and fly in fishing trips to Canada. > > Words for Clergy from Molly: > He taught me how to drive when I was 12 yrs old.  He loved to take his family out to the movies and out to eat. > He had a great sense of humor and he loved animals and cared for many throughout his life > > One of the trips to Ely, Minnesota, I ended up throwing a can full of worms on him and we all knew he had a bit of a temper. So I was waiting to get yelled at but he just laughed