Devoted Aurora man, real estate developer, icon. Those words describe the late Dan Dolan, who died February 20. He was unique, one of a kind, beloved by many Aurora and Fox Valley area citizens. He was 89 years old.
His uniqueness is reflected in the date of his passing, February 20, 2020. Three consecutive 20s only needs another 20 for a quartet, or, four-leaf clover. He was a proud Irishman who reveled in his heritage and in his family members.
Less than one month later his Aurora connections can celebrate his life with a St. Patrick’s Day festival. He has a Boys Baseball of Aurora field named after him for his many contributions.
That is a visible memorial to his iconic station in Aurora. What some longtime residents of Aurora know, however, likely not a majority are not aware, is that Dan Dolan, the real estate developer is the most responsible person for the commercial development and residential growth along the North Farnsworth area. When his Dolan & Murphy real estate company started buying land in near north and far north Farnsworth, there were skeptics who thought the development would be a long time in realization. The key was the opening of the interchange at Farnsworth and what became Interstate 88. Property prices and building plans exploded. Today’s busy retail and corporate developments have helped to make Aurora more prosperous.
His upbeat attitude and smile were infectious. He will be missed by many, including the family-run commercial real estate development business.
Aurora residents should be eternally grateful for his vision, tenacity, and development skills to help build his beloved Aurora, where he was born, went to school, helped develop a family, and became an icon.
• One more word of encouragement: Be counted in the U.S. Census Count. It helps all of our communities. We can be an advocate or help our communities by encouraging residents to comply with the law which wisely was started in 1790 by the young U.S. government. Please help others understand.
• The Venue in downtown Aurora continues to bring in good musical performances which has an appeal to a wide range of audiences. The prices are good. Support is fulfilling and worthy. It is less than a year old and supported by the Fox Valley.
• The First Fridays event Friday will have good weather by all accounts earlier in the week. Participation can be fun and fulfilling.
Clear and concise, week nine:
• Pronunciation includes day-ta, not datta; sta-tus, not stattus; e-conomics, not eckonomics.
• The use of nouns as verbs evidently is accelerating and it is likely the vast majority is not aware of the word abuse. Example: Advocate is a noun, not a verb.