Daniel Reagan

Daniel J. Reagan, of Sutton, Massachusetts, died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on February 9, 2026, after a short but courageous battle with CNS lymphoma.

There are three things you need to know about Dan Reagan, and everything follows from them. First, Dan loved unconditionally. Dan and Karen (DiPietro) were married for thirty-seven years. His daughter Elizabeth (Stanhope) and son Daniel were his pride and joy. He joyfully welcomed his son-in-law Gabe and Daniel’s fiancé, Micayla Circosta, into their loving family. His grandchildren Vincent and Nicholas lit up his life with laughter and fun. Dan also had many longtime friendships that he had held close, long before any of them knew how rare that kind of loyalty was. Second, Dan was resilient. He built a career on a handshake, restored cars and relationships with equal passion, and always kept moving toward a new goal. Finally, Dan was joyful. He filled his home with music, turned a house in Falmouth into a gathering place for everyone he loved, loved boating, celebrated successes at work and was a friend to anyone who crossed his path.

Born in Worcester in 1961 to Richard and Margaret (Downey) Reagan, Dan grew up in Northborough and Shrewsbury. He graduated from Saint John’s High School in 1979 and earned his B.A. in English at UMass Amherst. Dan was a car guy from the start, fixing, restoring, or flipping over a hundred cars in his twenties a ’71 Corvette 454 and a ’70 Challenger T/A 440 were among his favorites. That passion never faded. A barn-find ’73 Corvette became a father-son project with Daniel, and the ’65 Riviera became Dan’s signature car.

At Worcester Business Machines, his colleague Mary DiPietro introduced him to her daughter, Karen, who became the love of his life. What followed was thirty-seven beautiful, loving, and adventurous years. Karen was his rock, his joy, and his world.

Dan’s devotion to jazz was sparked by hearing “Milestones” by Miles Davis on the college radio at UMass. His musical spirit poured into his family’s life, with Daniel taking to guitar and jazz drums, Elizabeth absorbing rhythm and feeling through ballet, and Karen discovering her own love for jazz. Karen and Dan travelled to New York, Nashville, and New Orleans together to “take in the music scene”.

His sense of purpose was rooted in thirty years as Vice President of Sales at Applied Communications. A yellow legal pad and a coffee in hand, calls from anywhere at any hour, and a regular refrain of “I’ll call you right back” marked his every day. His colleagues Ed, Stefan, Vin, Kevin, Jim and others became his work family. Dan later played a role in mentoring his daughter in her Sales career, a daily conversation that guided her path.

The Cape Compound, as he called it, in Falmouth was where the family spent nearly every summer weekend, it was their gathering place that always centered on togetherness. It was Karen & Dan’s sanctuary, the escape, and hub for hosting countless family and friends. Breakfast at Moonakis, boat trips to Washburn Island and Martha’s Vineyard, and an open door that never closed, were weekend fare.

Dan’s resilience and joy will always be remembered. His unconditional love will always be felt. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

In addition to his family, Dan is survived by his sisters Brenda Van Kleeck and Kathy Young, by his brothers Patrick and Dennis Reagan, and by many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Margaret Reagan, and his brother Richard Reagan Jr.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, February 16 at Mercadante Funeral Home, 370 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA. from 4:00–7:00 p.m. The funeral service will be February 17 at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Joseph’s Church, 10 H Putnam Road Extension, Charlton, MA.