Westwood, MA – Daniel (“Dan”) Francis Coughlin, Jr., of Westwood passed away peacefully on March 8, 2016, at Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He was 86.
Dan was born on December 16, 1929, in Lexington, Massachusetts, to the late Marion and Daniel Coughlin. One of eight children, Dan was raised in Lexington, where he attended Parker Elementary and Lexington High School. Dan graduated from Tufts University where he was a member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. Following his graduation, Dan served on active duty as a Lieutenant J.G. in the U.S. Navy for three years and later joined the U.S. Naval Reserve from which he retired as a Lieutenant Commander. He earned a joint J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
Dan worked as a tax attorney for Exxon Corporation for 30 years. This career took him to overseas postings in Venezuela, Belgium and the United Kingdom. After his retirement from Exxon in 1986, he continued working as an attorney in private practice specializing in tax and estate law.
Dan was a leading member of the Navy League and a long-time trustee of the Naval War College Foundation and the American School in London. He was a golf caddy as a boy and became an avid and accomplished golfer. Dan traveled the world throughout his life and in later years sang as a member of the Apollo Club of Boston. He most enjoyed spending time with his large and beloved family.
Dan is survived by his four children, Mary Miller of Andover, MA and her husband Bradley, Daniel Coughlin of New York, NY, Laura Coughlin of Accra, Ghana and her husband Steven, and Brenda Coughlin of New York, NY, and seven grandchildren. He is survived by his brother and sisters, Mary Jane Eplept of Osterville, MA, Ann Coughlin of Winchester, MA, Kenneth Coughlin of Centerville, MA, and Donna Carroll of Winchester, MA, as well as 12 nieces and nephews and their families. He is predeceased by his sisters Phyllis Coughlin and Doris Fitzpatrick and his brother Gerald Coughlin. Survivors also include his former wives, Mary (Anderson) (1961–1989) and Kay (Flynn) (1996–2003).
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. Brigid’s Catholic Church in Lexington, MA at 10a.m. on Saturday March 12. The burial will follow at Westview Cemetery in Lexington. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill, Massachusetts.