Abraham 'Abby' E. Dan

Abraham "Abby" E. Dan of Middletown passed away on Wednesday, May 2, 2018, at home. He was 84.
The son of the Julius Dan and Ethyl Zolotorofe Dan, he was born in Brooklyn on April 8, 1934.
Abby grew up in Brooklyn and went to college at the University of Vermont with his twin brother Lew. Soon after, he met Barbara and within twp years they were married. They shared their lives together for 61 years.
Abby remained close with his fraternity brothers from UVM and even attended his 55-year reunion. He is proud of his family legacy, as his son Gary, and two grandchildren (Ethan and Jessica) have all graduated from the University of Vermont.
Abby cherished his days in the Catskill Mountains and would find every opportunity to share his memories and stories about Sha-Wan-Ga (shawanga.com).
Abby’s grandfather bought Sha-Wan-Ga Lodge in 1921. In 1957, after two years in the Army, Abby started working at Sha-Wan-Ga Lodge, the family run hotel, located in High View. Several years later, Abby was the senior partner and operated Sha-Wan-Ga until it closed in 1972.
During the next three years he was the general manager of the DeVille Hotel (the former Nemerson) and by 1975, Abby became executive director of the Raleigh Hotel in South Fallsburg. He was there for 31 years.
When the resort closed in 2006, Abby switched to working part-time at Kutsher’s Country Club and then later at the Hudson Valley Resort Hotel & Spa. He was there for four years in their Convention Sales Department.
Abby finally decided to retire in 2012 to enjoy traveling as well as relaxing in the dream house that he and Barbara built in 1991. He was proud to be a member of the Ontario Fire Company in Middletown for over 50 years.
Abby is survived by his wife Barbara Shapiro Dan; his daughter Debi Dan Wolfe of Mahwah, N.J.; his son Gary Dan and wife Simona of West Milford, N.J.; his twin brother Lewis Dan, M.D. and wife Carol of Miami, Fla.; his sister Naomi Kanter and husband Philip Kanter, M.D. of Boca Raton, Fla.; four grandchildren, Ethan and Jessica Wolfe and Julia and Emma Dan, plus his faithful dog Dani Dan.
Graveside services were held May 9 at Mount Ararat Cemetery in Farmingdale. Interment followed.
As was said at Sha-Wan-Ga:
“Au revoir, but not goodbye.”
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Smith, Seaman & Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Home (845-782-8185; www.ssqfuneralhome.com).