Obituary of Daniel Joseph Kapica

Dan was born and grew up in New Britain, Connecticut, with a brother that came 11 years after him.  His parents, Joseph and Irene (nee Banasiewicz) were of Polish descent.  He was raised Catholic, an altar boy, Eagle Scout, and an editor of his high school newspaper. This was the early ‘60s so he was able to attend Yale before the Vietnam conflict escalated to the draft.  Not wanting to go at entry level, he went to OCS and enlisted as an officer.  The early years saw brutal combat.  It scarred many, what has become known as PTSD and adjusting to civilian life was difficult for him.  He married, earned another degree from Chicago Booth School of Business, had three daughters, and worked in New York for many years as an institutional trade strategist, commuting from New Jersey. 

 

His life unraveled with pressures he could not manage, and he left his family to start over, teaching business at a community college in New Jersey.  He took early retirement and moved to Florida with his father in tow. It was during this time he started exploring spirituality and the meaning of Life, and wrote the Mangrove Seed Chronicles.  He met his second wife in Englewood and encouraged her to pursue her degree while he wrote his book and memoir.  

 

Dan and Katherine made many trips to the West Coast, and eventually relocated to Olympia, Washington, but not before Dan went to Ecuador and New Zealand. He loved talking to people, getting them to tell their life story as if gathering important information.  Like him or not, he was a far too engaging to ignore.

    

His stroke in 2012 curtailed the things he loved to do most, drive around gathering stories, exploring his surroundings and working on his computer, creating graphic art and finding answers on an array of topics.

 

Dan and his company from Vietnam days kept in touch over the years but especially as they all got older.  In the months before his passing, he managed to put closure on most things from his past.  He pondered the Next Chapter and had to trust those who lovingly took care of him that his passing would be easy and that they would support him any way they could.  The palliative/hospice team from Providence kept their promise and he passed peacefully at home with his partner of 16 years, Katherine.

 

Any donations in his name should be made to Providence SW Washington Foundation, 1413 Lilly Road NE, Olympia, WA 98506, Attn: Palliative Care, or to World Vision, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063.

 

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