Obituary of Daniel Joseph Mehan

Daniel Joseph Mehan, Ph.D., 78, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Wednesday, August 16. He was born in Philadelphia in 1944, the son of Harry and Mary (Ryan) Mehan. Dan is survived by his wife of 56 years, Helen (York) Mehan, of Basking Ridge, daughter Lyn Nita (Mike), son Daniel J. Mehan, Jr. (Kathy), son Doug Mehan, and granddaughters Jordan Mehan and Kelsey Mehan. He is also survived by his sisters Mary Sommers and Elizabeth Calter and his brother, H. Robert Mehan (Monica), and predeceased by his sister, Claire Lamb, and brother-in-law, Jack Lamb. He is also survived by a tight-knit extended family and many wonderful friends.

After earning his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University, Dan went on to earn his Masters Degree in Systems Engineering and Ph.D. in Operations Research from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi (President), Eta Kappa Nu, and Phi Kappa Phi and numerous engineering and scientific organizations. He began his career at Bell Labs in 1967 and spent over 30 years with AT&T before retiring as an International Vice President. After his successful career in industry, Dan turned to government service as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Washington, DC, where he was recognized as a cybersecurity expert. After his second retirement in 2005, he served on the Board of Directors of FIH mobile, a multi-billion dollar communications company.  

Dan was a reader at Saint James Church for forty years. He was fascinated with history and government, and though an early stint on the Neptune, NJ Planning Board didn’t lead to a career in politics, Dan gave an annual Constitution Day lecture to students at Saint Elizabeth University. While he lived in New Jersey for the last 55 years, he would always be a kid from Philly - he loved cheesesteaks and scrapple and rooted for his Eagles and Phillies. One of Dan’s favorite places was the beach, whether sitting looking at the ocean in Stone Harbor as a kid or Avon later in life, or at the bay from his cottage deck in Toms River.  

Dan was firmly committed to his family. His love of travel took him and Helen around the world and to all 50 states, yet he coached his children’s soccer and basketball teams and rarely missed a game, a trait that continued on the sidelines of his granddaughters’ teams. He also was a dedicated runner for many years and enjoyed running in local 10Ks, often with his children. And people just wanted to be with Dan, whether it was his wine-tasting group, or gym cadre, a special event with family or friends, or just a personal chat. He could liven up a party with his stories, humor, and cheerful laughter. But he could just as easily have a quiet conversation and offer comfort or advice if it was needed. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. 

Visitation will be held from 2-5pm on Sunday, August 27, 2023 at the Gallaway & Crane Funeral Home, 101 South Finley Ave. Basking Ridge, NJ.Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, August 28, 2023 at Saint James Church, 184 S. Finley Ave., Basking Ridge, NJ. Private burial will follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to JDRF at (800) 533-CURE or the American Cancer Society at (800) 227-2345.