Remembering Don Fagan

Don Fagan Remembered

Larry Morina, NEAI ’76, DWC ’96

I am so sorry to hear about Mr. Don Fagan. He was an inspiration to me as a student of two different era's of time. I first met Don Fagan as I began my Associate's degree in 1974. At the time Daniel Webster College was known as NEAI, New England Aeronautical Institute, Daniel Webster Jr. College. As a business major Don Fagan was always someone I could talk about business. He was just finishing his masters degree himself, and I was a recently discharged Vietnam Veteran going to school after four years of the military. Don was always there for you. He was an excellent professor and was able to make his experiences real life when questions were asked. I was hired by Air New England through a co-op school program in 1976 and I moved on.

I again found myself a student in 1992 when I began my bachelor's degree at Daniel Webster college in the night program. After all those year away, Don Fagan was still diligently working with students and faculty at Daniel Webster College. Mr. Fagan again was a professor who I always enjoyed a conversation with … he was a man's man… always had time to talk about business and life's experiences. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in 1996 and Don Fagan was still an active member of the college faculty and always doing what he did best … making students understand how business worked in everyone's life. At the time, he had a "mock" investing club with a class he was teaching. The students never put real cash toward the stock picks, but it was a way to show them the in's and out's of investing. He was as excited as the students when he spoke about the class and his progress.

Yes, I remember Don Fagan and I am so sorry to hear of his passing. I would like to send my condolences too his wife and family. It's been years since I have seen Don Fagan, but I'm sure it would have been old friends talking if I had run into him. I can honestly say many of his teachings have been part of my business life through the years. Don was a good friend besides being an excellent professor.

God bless you Don Fagan.

Jeff Hardy '86

I remember as a freshman, Don was one of the first instructors I came to know and yes, "Faganomics" quickly became part of my vocabulary.

My favorite memory of Don was the first time I received a call at home one evening. How many times does a college freshman receive a personal call from an instructor?

"Jeff, I need a favor"

"Yes, Mr. Fagan, what can I do?"

"You're a commuter, can you give me ride tomorrow, my car broke down?

That is when I realized I wasn't in high school anymore …

Don Fagan will always hold a special place in my life.

Scott (Zip) C. Szczypien ’91

First I just wanted to say to his family that I am sorry for their loss, and to the DWC community it is a great loss.

I first met my friend under not so friendly circumstances. It was with in the first month and a half of starting his class, I was sitting in the back of the room, and during a test he thought I was cheating.

Professor Fagan kept me after class, scolded me, and then over the next hour verbally quizzed me on all the subjects. He looked frustrated and confused at the end of the "quiz" because I was able to answer all his questions. When I left he told me he had to think about all this.

My first impression of him was not so good, and then the next day I passed him in the hall and he pulled me into a empty class room. Now he was confident I didn't cheat and he asked me what I was doing.

I told him I was trying to wake up the guy next to me so he wouldn't flunk the test, me and the guy next to me were pledging Arnold Air Society and had been up most of the night doing our pledge books, polishing our shoes, and getting our uniforms ready for inspection.

He looked quite amused, and said something I will always remember, "You're a good friend to wake your friend up in class. I need a friend like that to wake me up in class too." He held out his hand and I shook it, and he said "My name is Don and how the hell do you say your last name alphabet boy" I introduced myself as Zip and from there on in, we were friends.

He and Moon were always our biggest supporters for our ROTC events from the POW/MIA recognition day, to award and dining out ceremonies, to being at my commissioning ceremony.

He was a guy that you could drink a beer with and just talk about life, and he did enjoy it very very much.

The thing I think will live on from Mr. Fagan is how much he enjoyed his life and the lives of his students; he wasn't your 9-5 teacher, he was honest, fun loving, a child at heart, who actually gave a damn, and that meant a lot to all of us.

Robert (Skip) Myers
President

I only knew Don Fagan for nine months, so unlike so many of you who knew him over the years and can recount priceless stories, I feel somewhat cheated. And yet, in that brief period Don taught me some "life" lessons that I'm certain he imparted to so many of our students over the years.

Many of you retell the stories that prompt laughter. My limited time with Don was marked with moments when I was struck by how gracious a gentleman he was (as well as a "gentle man"). There was our very first meeting, when by chance I came upon him in The Common Thread, his first day back recovering from his previous courageous fight with illness. He was still weak and he apologized for not standing to shake my hand. I knew immediately this was a man worth knowing. There was the time when I publicly thanked a number of people for their contributions to a particular success, and Don gently reminded me later of the names of some of the "hardworking little people" as he called them who really deserved the credit. There was the time when Don and Eileen hosted at their home a welcome reception for Gretchen and me, and it was by far the largest, the warmest, and the most "interesting" welcome we received when we first arrived ... "interesting" because the many, many alumni who came because it was Don who issued the invitation told me that it was highly likely that at some point Don might try to throw me in his swimming pool!

And there was the time when we said goodbye. Don called me early one morning and, again, apologized that he was too weak to come to my office and asked if I could come over to his. I knew the news he was about to share with me. But when I entered his office, he took charge of the conversation and began with a joke, then shared with me a cartoon he had clipped from a newspaper that depicted a college president trying to do everything with nothing (it seemed appropriate to both of us, and we laughed together). And then we talked about the wonder of watching our children, as babies, playing on the floor and celebrating with joy each and every new development ... rolling over, standing, taking that first step. It was then that he announced "I've had a great life, but I'm leaving now." He then went on to assure me that he was going to do everything he could to make certain that his classes were covered and he wouldn't leave the College in a lurch for the fall.

So quintessential Don Fagan. His first concern, the College. He, the comforter, and not the one needing comfort. Don, tomorrow when I say goodbye to you, I have a special tie for you to wear at what will no doubt be the best party upstairs in a long, long time.

Michael Fishbein
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

When I came to the College in 2004, Don was recovering from his last surgeries. I was able to visit him in his Lowell home, just to make the connection and to allow him the chance to tell me what he wanted to do. He sat calmly in a living room chair, covered by a sheet that I am certain he intended as a way of shielding me from the sight of the incisions and tubes still in his body. While his voice was thin, his determination was cold steel: he would be back! From that point on, I didn’t doubt it. In Judaism, when one mentions someone who has passed away, one adds the Hebrew words: “May his memory be a blessing.” From what I know, his life certainly was that for Daniel Webster College.