Robert “Dan” Conner, 70, of Stuart Florida, passed away on May 23, at his Virginia home, following a brief illness. He was born in Dothan, Alabama on November 20, 1950. He was preceded in death by his cherished parents Ed and Erlene Conner of Hobe Sound, Florida. He was also preceded in death by his mother in law, Elizabeth Garland. When Dan and Anne got married, he insisted she live with them, so she could be cared for. They formed a special bond of love that filled her final years with joy.
He is survived by his wife, Anne Garland Conner, daughters Sarah Conner-Brown (William, III), San Jose, California, and Keren Conner, Stuart, Florida, and granddaughter, Hailey Rivera, of Stuart, Florida, as well as his brother Phil Conner (Dee), their children, Diana Conner Pate (Ben) and Daniel Conner, and 6 great nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his brother-in-law that he thought of as another brother, John Garland, and the sister-of-his-heart Joy Neupert.
Dan graduated from Rivera Beach High School in 1969, attended Palm Beach Community College, and served in the Air Force. He was honored to be a retiree from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, where he served as a Firefighter/EMT, Driver/Engineer.
Dan's passions were sailing, surfing, traveling, and restoring antique boats. He treasured the time each year that he and his "girls" would sail their sailboat, The Grace, to the Bahamas for a month. They also enjoyed living on their catamaran, The Grace 2, in Tequesta, Florida. He declared his younger daughter, Keren, as the special assistant to the Captain, affectionately known as the “Tiger”, and loved calling her that throughout his lifetime.
Dan’s constant companion in the last 11 years, was his rescue dog, Poco Lobo, who adored him.
Memorial services and reception will be held Saturday, June 26, 2021 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, with services to be held at 2:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish, may make a donation to any rescue shelter for dogs, their church, or Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.
