Dan Felton Springer, 85, passed away at his home in Acworth on Saturday morning, February 23, 2019. He was the son of the late Fred and Lola Springer, and was born and raised in Atlanta. Dan is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Ellen, daughter Ellen (David Overdorf) Springer, son Dan Jr. (Carol) Springer, grandchildren Liz (Gabriel) Bodner, Lee (Morgan) Springer, Trey (Lauren) Springer, Steven Springer, and Sarah Springer, great-grandchildren Jackson and Remy Bodner, Jake and Eva Springer, and brother Fred (Betty) Springer.
Dan attended North Fulton High School and worked in his family’s Grocery Store before entering Georgia Tech to study Mechanical Engineering. While at Tech, he was in the Naval ROTC, Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, and multiple honors societies, including Tau Beta Pi and Phi Kappa Phi. After he graduated with highest honors in 1955, Dan was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy and entered Training School.
That year, he proposed to Ellen Harrison, whom he had been dating for 6 years, and they were married June 23, 1956, on top of Lookout Mountain. After their wedding, they moved to Naples, Italy, where Dan was on assignment as an Ensign and later Lieutenant J.G. on a Navy auxiliary tanker in the Mediterranean. A year later, Dan was honorably discharged, and moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Automotive Engineering from the Chrysler Institute and worked as an engineer in the Plymouth assembly plant.
In 1961, Dan and Ellen returned home to Atlanta with their children, where Dan worked at Lockheed for 10 years. While with Lockheed, Dan was assigned to several special projects, and the whole family spent a year in London, England and a summer in Burbank, California. In 1971, Dan and a partner purchased Moss Marina in Ft.
Myers Beach, Florida, and the family lived and worked there until 1977. After the sale of the Marina, the family spent the summer sailing in the Bahamas on their sailboat, Springtime. Dan spent a short time working with Lewis Marine Supply and later with Steve Roberts Custom Homes, before starting his own sailboat building business, Commodore Yachts, which he and Ellen owned from 1979 to 1988.
After Commodore, he worked with his son in his son’s company, Mainbrace Technologies, for 3 years, designing and building boats together. In 1991, Dan and Ellen came back to Atlanta, where Dan returned to Lockheed Martin and spent the last 10 years of his career as an engineer specializing in producibility. He then retired to focus on his many hobbies, and on his family.
Throughout his life, Dan was an automotive enthusiast, and over time, he restored a ’36 Dodge panel truck, a ’54 MG TF, a ‘71 Lincoln Mark III, a ’71 GMC motor home, and a complete custom restoration of a ’67 Sunbeam Alpine, which won numerous awards, including several “People’s Choice” awards at auto shows along the East Coast and 1st place in the antique car division of the Georgia Tech Ramblin’ Wreck Parade. Dan and Ellen were proud members of the Dixielanders motor home club and the Sunbeam owners’ club for many years, and attended numerous rallies along the East Coast. More recently, Dan was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, and was also in the process of building a 2 passenger plane, which he had aspirations of flying himself.
Of all his many accomplishments, Dan was proud to be a Georgia Tech grad, prouder of his service to our country in the Navy, and proudest of his beloved family. He was adored by his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and respected by all who knew him. Dan was a brilliant engineer, a true renaissance man, and a master craftsman.
He spent his life pursuing dreams and telling stories, and we will all remember his as a life well-lived, full of love and shared adventures. Services will be held at 11am on Saturday, March 2nd, at Mayes Ward-Dobbins funeral home in Marietta, with visitation at 10am. He will be laid to rest at Georgia National Cemetery at a later date.
Flowers are appreciated, or you may make a donation in his honor to the Wounded Warrior Project, www. woundedwarriorproject.org/donate To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Dan Felton Springer please visit our Sympathy Store.
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