Dana Durgin

Dana Carroll Durgin, 67, surrounded by those that loved him dearly, peacefully passed away on Sunday, May 22, 2016 in Reno, Nevada after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Born July 19, 1948 in Portland, he attended elementary school in Raymond; graduated from Bay Shore High School, New York in 1966; received a bachelor’s degree in Geology from Dartmouth College and a master’s degree from the University of Washington in 1972. Dana was an AIPG Certified Professional Geologist and was president of his own geological consulting company, Delve Consultants. He was a member of the Geological Society of Nevada and a very proud member of the National Rifle Association.

Dana, the ultimate outdoorsman, loved hunting, fishing, scuba diving and exploration. A dedicated brother, uncle and rriend, caring deeply for all, his compassion and generosity to anyone in need made the world a better place.

After years of exploration within the mining industry and making friends along the way, in the early 80s, he made his home in Sparks, Nevada. With his great friend, Doug Wood — his business partner — he enjoyed a great career and together they shared many global adventures. He traveled the world with his other great friend, Michael Beach, including hunting safaris to Africa, Kyrgyzstan, New Zealand and South America, culminating in his home full of trophies, treasures and memories. A certified scuba diver, he was at the center of many underwater escapades. He loved the ocean and shared that world with his dear friends, Martin McClellan and Marc Briseno, along with many others.

All that aside, his proudest achievement was in the loving relationship he had with his niece, Anna Wangberg, his biggest fan. She was his “little” buddy like no other. He loved teaching her about animals, guns, movies, fishing and, of course, slurpees. He was truly a feather-filled teddy bear in her presence. A prolific writer, he compiled a book of his many adventures, Unsupervised Play OR An Adventurous Life Starts in Childhood. These were stories of the incredible life he lived. He truly lived an unbelievable life that he shared with everyone he touched.

Dana is survived by his brothers, Louis and Scot; his sister, Wendy Wangberg; 10 nephews and nieces; along with many members of his extended family in Maine and many other parts of the country.

He was preceded in passing by his father and mother, Charles and Hilda (Shaw) Durgin; step-mother Anna Chute Durgin; brother Donal; as well as many other precious relatives and friends.

A celebration of Dana’s life will be held on Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 4 p.m. at the Clubhouse at Skyline Canyon Apartments, located at 3300 Skyline Boulevard, Reno, NV. An additional celebration of his life will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at 4 p.m. at the Raymond Village Community Church, located at 27 Main Street, Raymond. For details, call Wendy at 775-771-4480 or Louis at 207-564-3518.

Dana was a loving and dedicated supporter of the Reno Chapter of HOPE worldwide. Would you please consider, in lieu of flowers, a donation in memory of Dana to HOPE worldwide (Reno Chapter in the comments section) at www.hopeww.org or 6320 Fairhaven Place, Reno, NV 89523.