Dr Dan was a “Great Man”!

Over the 30 plus years I have lived in Marquette I have met a lot of good people. I

have also met a handful of people that have passed away that I considered Great.

People like Elwood Mattson, Rose Tourville, Bill Lavallie and Phyllis Maki to

name a few. Now I need to add Dr. Dan Mazzuchi to that list following his recent

death.

Dr. Dan had a huge impact on this community in a variety of ways. Dan was the

Associate Dean of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

During his 20-year involvement he helped place over 100 physicians in the

primary care residency program. These doctors went on to serve the Upper

Peninsula medical community, having a huge impact on medical care in the Upper

Peninsula.

Dan also served on the Marquette City Commission as well as serving as Mayor of

Marquette. Dan’s involvement in the Medical Community was an obvious course

for him to take because he was a doctor and he had opened an internal medicine

nephrology practice in 1973. Dan’s involvement in city politics speaks to Dan’s

desire to make Marquette and the surrounding area a better place to live and raise

families. Dan’s involvement as Mayor and Commissioner came directly from his

heart, which for me is what makes him eligible for the title of a “Great Man”. I

don’t think I knew anyone else that had more of an impact on the community with

such a positive attitude than Dr. Dan Mazzuchi. His involvement in the medical

community took a significant amount of his time, which for most people would not

leave any time for community involvement. That was not the case for Dr. Dan. His

community was very important to him and he served it admirably.

After his retirement, Dr. Dan volunteered with the Lake Superior Life Care &

Hospice for 21 years. During that time, he impacted hundreds of lives by providing

compassion and direction to those in hospice care. I was honored to be invited to

see Dr. Dan make an award presentation to a neighbor that was in hospice care

recognizing him for his service in the military. To say this honor had a significant

impact on the hospice care patient would be an understatement. He exhibited a

smile on his face and a sense of pride in his final days that he had not shown over

the last couple months of his life. Dr. Dan’s presentation showed compassion and

love for his fellow man that will forever leave a huge impression on me as to how

important Dr. Dan’s visit was. It takes a unique individual to be able to offer that

kind of a visit and having known Dr. Dan for many years it was no surprise that he

was the correct man for the job and the impact he had on my neighbor was

enormous.

Dr. Dan came to visit me one day at the Mining Journal to sell me on the idea of

developing a place for people in hospice care to live out their final days in a quality

environment. It didn’t take much effort by Dr. Dan to sell me on the idea because I

had a friend that lived out his final days after a battle with cancer in the Omega

House in Houghton. I agreed with Dr. Dan that we needed a place like the Omega

House in Marquette and I offered to help with publicity through editorial support to

promote the building of the Trillium House. I also knew that with Dr. Dan leading

the effort there was no question in my mind that the campaign to build a hospice

house would be successful. It was sad, but appropriate that Dan chose to live out

his final days on earth at the Trillium House.

Dan was honored for his time in Marquette city government by his name being

placed on a Marquette Fire Truck. This topic was brought up during a discussion

between Dr. Dan and Dr. Mike Coyne a longtime friend of Dr. Dan during Dan’s

final days on earth. Dr Mike Coyne also served on the commission and as Mayor

but when he was offered a truck being named after him, Mike Coyne deferred his

naming to long time Fire Chief Frank Sciotto. Dan and Mike joked about Dan

being one up on Mike because of the fire truck naming honor and laughed about it

during their last visit together. That sense of humor that Dr. Dan had even in his

last days of life is indicative of his wonderful personality.

Along with his involvement in the medical community and city government Dan

was a beloved husband to his wife Connie, and a wonderful father to his children. I

hope that Dr. Dan’s family realizes what a “Great” man he was and what a

significant legacy he leaves behind. Thank you to his family for allowing all of us

to share in the leadership, love and compassion that Dr Dan had to offer. He goes

into my own personal Hall of Fame as one of the greatest people I have ever

known. We will miss you Dr. Dan, but the lessons you gave to us in the way you

treated people and conducted your life means your legacy will live on through

those of us that knew you. Rest in peace!