Daniel J. Downie

Daniel Joseph Downie died peacefully at home on May 30, 2020 at the age of 61 after a long struggle with multiple system atrophy (MSA). Dan was born on October 17, 1958 in Springfield, MA. He graduated from Cathedral High School in 1976 and later from Springfield Technical Community College with a degree in business. He married his loving wife, Judy on April 16, 1983. He worked for the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission for 38 years and was serving as the Chief Procurement Officer at the time of his retirement in 2015. Dan was an avid runner, skier and griller. He ran several marathons and was proud to have participated in the 100th running of the Boston Marathon in 1996. He served on the Board of Directors of the Springfield Ski Club for 16 years. Sharing his love of skiing with family and friends at Blandford Ski Area was one of his greatest joys. Dan was a New England sports fan, his favorite teams being the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox and the Portland Sea Dogs. He volunteered his time to support various charities throughout his life, instilling in his daughters the value of service. Some of the greatest memories made with Dan took place at Old Orchard Beach and Two Lights State Park in Maine. He and his best friend Tom Cullen loved to coordinate these trips and enjoyed talking over every detail for months in advance. Of all of his pastimes and loves, nothing was more important to him than being a husband and father. Everything Dan did was in service of his family, and this extended beyond Judy and his daughters to his siblings, nephews, many cousins, their families and his beloved godchildren. The family is so grateful for the loving care Dan received in his final years from the caring staff of Baystate VNAH. Dan is survived by his wife Judy (Gunn) Downie, his children Sarah Framarin and her husband Michael, Heather and Julianne Downie, grandchildren Althea and Vivian Framarin and Megan Darsch all of East Longmeadow, MA. He is also survived by his brother Stephen and his wife Virginia (Bedinotti) Downie of Cupertino, CA and his sister Susan (Downie) Dunderdale and her husband Rick of South Hadley, MA and their families. He is predeceased by his parents Norman and Mary (Kane) Downie of Springfield, MA. His relatives and friends are invited to attend visiting hours on Tuesday June 9th, from 9am-1pm at the Forastiere Smith Family Funeral Home, 220 North Main St., East Longmeadow. PLEASE CALL 413-525-2800 TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TO PERSONALLY VISIT THE FAMILY AND SHARE YOUR APPRECIATION FOR DANIEL’S LIFE DURING THE 9am-1pm VISITING HOURS. Please send a message to dandowniefuneral@gmail.com if you wish to be notified of the funeral service and celebration of life, which will be scheduled by the family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Cardiology or Baystate Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice. For more information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.forastiere.com