Dan Crowley Muessel

Dan Crowley Muessel, 85, died on May 16, 2011 in the Putnam Farms Assisting Living Facility in Danvers. He was the husband of the late Margaret (McNair) Muessel. Born in South Bend, Indiana on April 1, 1926, he was the son of the late Robert W. and Grace (Crowley) Muessel. He served our country as a Lieutenant with the United States Navy, where he was a commander of landing craft in the Pacific during WWII and was honorably discharged. Dan received his bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in 1949. He had a long career as an engineer, with more than 25 patents to his name. He retired as Engineering Director of Amesbury Industries, Amesbury, Massachusetts. Prior to his position at Amesbury, he was Director of Engineering at Rule Industries, Gloucester, Massachusetts, Manager of Engineering at Eaton, Yale and Town, a division of Eaton Corporation, and Director of Research and Development at Kawneer Company in Niles, Michigan. An avid skier, he led the ski patrol for many years at Swiss Valley ski resort in Michigan and was joined by his wife Margaret who was a long time ski instructor. After Margaret developed Multiple Sclerosis, Dan became active as a disability advocate and served as the first co-chairperson of the Danvers Disability Commission. He is survived by two sons, David C. Muessel of New York and Rob Muessel of Vermont, a sister Mary Pulling of Atlanta, Georgia and three grandchildren- Eric, serving in the US Army in Iraq, Jessica, a college student in Houston and Anne, a student at University of Vermont. A Memorial service will be held June 25, 2011 in Shelburne, Vermont. Details can be obtained from C.R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Dan’s name to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 733 Third Ave., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10017.