Daniel P. Cosgrove of 99 Todds Hill Rd., Branford, passed away peacefully on April 12 surrounded by loving family and friends. Daniel was born on Nov. 19, 1917, son of James and Elizabeth O’Brien Cosgrove. He was the husband of the late Alice Brown Cosgrove; and father of Daniel T. Cosgrove and Susan Cosgrove Barnes, both of Branford, and Mark M. Cosgrove (Linda) of Johnson City, Tennessee.
Dan led a life full enough for several men. A prominent, respected, and trusted excavation contractor for more than sixty years, he built airports in Cuba, Block Island, and Oxford, Connecticut; corporate headquarters for Bayer Labs, Bristol Meyers, and Ethan Allen Furniture; as well as roads and schools throughout the state.
Dan’s political life was as full; he was active locally and statewide. He was on a first-name basis with some of the most important people in Washington, D.C. It was understood by most that if you needed to get something done, he was the man to see. Dan was an important piece of the effort to bring the first Hospice in the United States to Branford, helping to obtain funding, and doing the site work for the original building free of charge. He was a large contributor to the success of its present quarters in Short Beach.
An autodidact with a remarkable memory, he would read himself to sleep with Shakespeare and American and British History. He was legendary for his skills in arithmetic without benefit of paper or pencil. As a young man he had an impressive career as a professional boxer. His crowning achievement in that arena was being inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame at age 90.
Mr. Cosgrove leaves nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother James Cosgrove Jr. and his sister Kathryn Cappiello.
His family extends special thanks to the staff of Connecticut Hospice and his aides Ampi, Troy, and Mo.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held April 15 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Church in Branford. Friends are invited to go directly to church. Burial will follow in St. Agnes Cemetery. Visitation will be held on April 14 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main St., Branford. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd., Branford, CT 06405. For an online memorial, please visit www.wsclancy.com.
