Daniel Neal Dow

Traveler, Artist, Mentor Daniel Neal Dow, 83, passed peacefully on Tuesday, May 28, after a brief illness. He was born on November 22, 1940, to Paul W. Dow and Glenna Ferguson Dow, and raised in South Portland, where he met the love of his life and wife of 59 years, Barbara Powell Dow. He and Barbara settled in Cumberland, Maine, where they raised their two sons, Michael D. and Christopher B. Dow. His passions and interests were many, and he was a voracious reader, encouraging his sons in the pursuit by leaving notable books on their beds without comment, but certainly with expectations. There was a stack of books near him at all times. Traveling was a powerful theme throughout Dan’s life. A member of the Maine Air National Guard 243rd and 265th, where he retired as a Chief Master Sergeant, he regularly travelled for work. His final deployment was a two-year assignment to the Pentagon. But his love of travel was also, and more inextricably, bound up with his love of photography. Rarely seen without a camera in hand, he first experimented with what would become his lifelong passion working in a darkroom converted from a tiny closet, securing the door against his sons’ eager tugging at the doorknob, gripping it with one hand while he struggled to develop his photographs with the other. As years passed, Dan travelled, camera in hand and Barbara at his side, capturing the beauty he found across America, Europe, Africa, and particularly Ireland, the couple’s favorite destination, to which they travelled more than a dozen times. His deep curiosity about new technology led him to enthusiastically explore the changing field of photography, embracing the emergence of digital platforms and equipment with the same reverence he held for more traditional modes. His photography blossomed into work of compelling power and stark simplicity, garnering him broad recognition for his art. A member of the Portland Camera Club since 1971, and of the Addison Woolley Gallery since 2009, Dan’s photography has been shown in over 30 exhibits worldwide, from the Maine Biennial to the Gostiny Dvor Museum, Archangel, Russia. His work is held in various private collections, as well as Steve Halpert Photography Collection at the University of New England. His photographic career was made immeasurably more satisfying through the long, treasured friendship of his dear friend and artistic colleague, Jan Pieter Van Voorst Van Beest, who encouraged Dan - modest to a fault about his gifts - to share his art with the public. That kindness and enthusiasm was an integral part of Dan himself - he encouraged and mentored a wide range of artists of all ages, supporting so many people in both the visual and performing arts, regularly attending plays and exhibits. He could always be seen after a performance or at a gallery show, engaged in spirited discussions with the most interesting people. His genuine curiosity and admiration for artists, the arts, and life in general made conversation with him thorough, invigorating, and joyous. He leaves his wife, Barbara, sons Michael and Christopher, daughter-in-law Christine Marshall Dow, and numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law, as well as a beloved tribe of nephews and nieces, of whom he was immensely proud. He is predeceased by his granddaughter, Delaney Fuller Dow, a brother, Brian Dow, and a sister, Pauline Dow Nickerson. Dan’s presence will surely be missed among family, friends and colleagues. But there is no doubt that the energy produced by this singular man will continue to resonate in the lives of the many people he touched with his intellect, wit, passion and integrity. A graveside service will be held at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland, Maine, Wednesday, June 5, at 11am. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home of Portland. To view Daniel's memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Morrison Center, PO Box 1539, Scarborough, ME 04070-1539