Share, email, print, bookmark SOURCE reports.

[broadstreet zone=”63788″]

[broadstreet zone=”66384″]

ASHLAND – Dana Vannasse, 87, of Ashland, Massachusetts passed away on December 15, 2022 at home, surrounded by loving family.

Dana was born in Belmont, MA on May 17, 1935, the son of Edward and Anne Vannasse. 

Dana graduated from Boston University in 1957 with a degree in Business Management.  Dana made his home in Weston, for over 40 years before moving to Ashland.

Dana leaves behind his beloved partner, Kathleen Rice; sister Judith Akerman of Boston; nephew Scott Akerman and his wife Kathryn and their daughter Astrid of Cape Elizabeth, Maine; nephew Bradford Akerman of Salem.  Dana also leaves many cousins, friends and colleagues along with his best friend and cousin Bill Barnes and his wife Meredith of Dennis, who were part of his care team.

Dana was most proud of the fact that his maternal grandfather brought sprinkler technology from England to the US; and, his paternal grandfather started the first taxi service in Belmont which evolved into the Metropolitan Coach Company and Belmont Motors.  Dana’s interest in automobiles and transportation came from hours spent in the bus garage growing up.

Dana spent a lifetime in the travel industry.  He was the owner of Beacon Hill Travel in Boston which catered to the carriage trade. Having travelled to over 100 countries Dana served on numerous travel industry boards and was often called upon to be an expert witness in cases relating to the travel industry. 

He was an active member of The Travelers Information Exchange, Weston Rotary, Friends of the Public Garden, the Beacon Hill Civic Association and was a member and past president of the Boston SKAL club. 

As a world traveler his favorite destinations were closer to home: Newport Rhode Island, Willoughby Lake in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, Jan. 6th at 10 a.m. in St. Patrick’s Church, 44 East Central Street in Natick.

Burial will be private. 

There are no calling hours. Arrangements by Matarese Funeral Home in Ashland.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Greater Boston Food Bank or a charity of one’s choice.

https://www.gbfb.org/

The Greater Boston Food Bank, 70 South Bay Ave., Boston, MA 02118

[broadstreet zone=”66385″]

By editor

Susan Petroni is the former editor for SOURCE. She is the founder of the former news site, which as of May 1, 2023, is now a self-publishing community bulletin board. The website no longer has a journalist but a webmaster.