On January 8, 2021, the Cape lost a true Cape Codder when at the age of 89 years old, Dana Wilbur Eldridge passed away. Dana was born on November 5, 1931, at Cape Cod Hospital, a 13th generation Cape Codder on both sides of the family and the son of Wilbur “Wib” Eldridge and Elizabeth Nickerson Eldridge from whom he got his deep love of all the beauty and bounty that the Cape had to offer.
His love for the Cape was evident in three published books, two of which were stories about growing up on his beloved Cape Cod. Dana was a gifted storyteller. He delighted readers of the Cape Codder newspaper for 22 years, often colorfully describing happenings both past and present in his day-to-day life and the lives of his family and friends. The essays always included thoughtful observations of nature and, in particular, the watery world around him. John Hay, the well-known author of books on nature, said, “Dana Eldridge writes with an infectious sense of humor and an unembarrassed love of the past...His boyhood adventures remind you of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.” Dana, in one article, lamented the lack of “characters” left on the Cape. In truth, Dana, himself, was a Cape Cod character.
Dana was one of 12 students who graduated from Chatham High School in 1949. At 19 years old, Dana volunteered to serve in the Korean War as an infantryman and was in the battle that ultimately defined the North/South line. Upon returning to the Cape, Dana found peace and comfort back on Monomoy Island, where he had had countless adventures as a child and teen roaming the sandy dunes, driving Model Ts, and bunking in the family camps with family and friends.
After returning from the war, he went back to school, ultimately getting a Master’s Degree at UMass, Amherst. He lived and worked for a time in Virginia at the Institute of Marine Science, developing new oyster aquaculture techniques. He returned to the Cape so his three small boys could enter school here and began a career in Real Estate.
After the real estate crash in the ’70s, Dana developed the Marine Occupations program at the Cape Cod Technical High School, and for 15 years, mentored many students in the ways of navigating the ocean and life. He was often approached by former students thanking him for the positive effect he had on their lives.
For ten summers during this time, he worked on and finished building Cataluña, a 32’ Catboat from plans that were altered to accommodate his 6’6” frame. He and his wife Lynne lived on board for several unforgettable summers, commuting to work via tender that they would tie up at the dock.
At his retirement from Cape Cod Tech, Dana embarked on another rewarding career, this time at the Cape Cod National Seashore as an interpretive ranger. He worked happily for several decades, threading together stories of the natural landscape and local history for thousands of captivated visitors and sometimes bringing them home for dinner to share more stories.
Dana is survived by his sister Beth Fletcher and her daughter Samantha Stone, his first wife Jane Pedersen and their three sons and their wives: Dana T. and Molly of Eastham, MA, Lincoln of Virginia Beach, and Scott and Laura of Brewster. Dana leaves behind the love of his life, Lynne, with whom he had just celebrated their 30th anniversary, and his stepchildren: Susan Goodyear, Cary Horneman, and Daniel Goodyear. Dana loved the idea that he was a patriarch of a wonderfully blended family of 6 children and their spouses, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He loved them all and loved nothing more than to have as many of them as possible seated around a large table overlooking Meeting House Pond. He will be sorely missed.
We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the staff at The Terraces Orleans who tirelessly helped care for Dana through the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.
In lieu of flowers please make donations in his honor to:
Friends of Pleasant Bay https://fopb.wildapricot.org/ OR
Orleans Conservation Trust https://orleansconservationtrust.org/give-to-oct/
Letters of condolences can be sent to Nickerson Funeral Home. 77 Eldredge Pkwy, Orleans, MA 02653 (508) 255-0259.
A gathering to celebrate his life will be held at a time when it is safer to do so.
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