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Hundreds attend wake for Dan Pires on Sunday
By Curt Brown
Standard-Times staff writer
June 30, 2008 6:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — Dan Pires, who died unexpectedly last week at the age of 52, was remembered Sunday for his love of family, insightful newspaper writing and the care and respect he showed for one and all.
Mr. Pires collapsed June 25 on the track at the Dartmouth Middle School. He died at St. Luke's Hospital.
Hundreds of family and friends paid their respects at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals well into the evening on Sunday. The line extended about a hundred feet out the front door of the funeral home.
A Mass will be held at noon today in St. Lawrence Church, 565 County St. Burial will be private.
"It just goes to show that there are all kinds of ways to be rich in this world and Danny was a rich man," said Bob Unger, editor of The Standard-Times, noting the huge turnout for Mr. Pires' wake.
Mr. Pires covered the New England Patriots for more than a decade for the newspaper.
Family and friends later spoke of the respect people from all walks of life had for the soft-spoken family man.
Mike Valeri, a staff photographer with The Standard-Times, recalled an incident when he and Mr. Pires were covering the Patriots that was indicative of his huge popularity.
Mr. Valeri said he was trying to take a photo of one of the Patriots' players, who was busy working on a laptop computer. The player signaled to him that he did not want his photo taken.
He relented, however, and allowed the photo to be taken when he realized Mr. Pires, who was seated next to him, knew Mr. Valeri.
"You're a friend of Dan? O.K., you can take my picture."
Marie Alves, a cousin of Mr. Pires, said he was all about family.
"Every family has an anchor and that was Danny. He kept family alive and that's hard to do."
Kristen Manley and her sister, Dana, of Warwick, R.I., who worked at the Credit Information Bureau in Warwick, where Mr. Pires was the manager, attended the wake.
"He was more like a friend than a boss," Dana Manley said. "He was always telling stories and always had a joke."
"He always asked about everyone's families," her sister said.
They were joined at the wake by their father, Mike Manley, who was friends for many years with Mr. Pires and shared a love of sports with him.
Several of those who attended the wake expressed that they could not believe that Mr. Pires, his death so sudden, had passed away.
"It's a shock," said cousin John Alves.
He had just recently seen him and complimented him on his weight loss.
In the past 14 months, Mr. Pires had taken up a regular exercise regimen and lost 40 pounds.
"I told him, 'You look good. Keep it up.'"
Three hours after the start of visiting hours, the line still extended well outside the entrance of the funeral home, and visitors continued to pay their respects till 9 p.m.
"This is his Super Bowl right here," said cousin Evan Lessa. "He was this important to us."
"To him, there was no separation between family and friends," said John Baptista, another cousin of Mr. Pires.
They talked about vast knowledge Mr. Pires possessed regarding the Patriots.
Mr. Lessa remembered getting a behind-the-scenes account of Randy Moss' trade to the Patriots.
"That was ESPN right there. That is the man," he said.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080630/NEWS/806300330
By Curt Brown
Standard-Times staff writer
June 30, 2008 6:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — Dan Pires, who died unexpectedly last week at the age of 52, was remembered Sunday for his love of family, insightful newspaper writing and the care and respect he showed for one and all.
Mr. Pires collapsed June 25 on the track at the Dartmouth Middle School. He died at St. Luke's Hospital.
Hundreds of family and friends paid their respects at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals well into the evening on Sunday. The line extended about a hundred feet out the front door of the funeral home.
A Mass will be held at noon today in St. Lawrence Church, 565 County St. Burial will be private.
"It just goes to show that there are all kinds of ways to be rich in this world and Danny was a rich man," said Bob Unger, editor of The Standard-Times, noting the huge turnout for Mr. Pires' wake.
Mr. Pires covered the New England Patriots for more than a decade for the newspaper.
Family and friends later spoke of the respect people from all walks of life had for the soft-spoken family man.
Mike Valeri, a staff photographer with The Standard-Times, recalled an incident when he and Mr. Pires were covering the Patriots that was indicative of his huge popularity.
Mr. Valeri said he was trying to take a photo of one of the Patriots' players, who was busy working on a laptop computer. The player signaled to him that he did not want his photo taken.
He relented, however, and allowed the photo to be taken when he realized Mr. Pires, who was seated next to him, knew Mr. Valeri.
"You're a friend of Dan? O.K., you can take my picture."
Marie Alves, a cousin of Mr. Pires, said he was all about family.
"Every family has an anchor and that was Danny. He kept family alive and that's hard to do."
Kristen Manley and her sister, Dana, of Warwick, R.I., who worked at the Credit Information Bureau in Warwick, where Mr. Pires was the manager, attended the wake.
"He was more like a friend than a boss," Dana Manley said. "He was always telling stories and always had a joke."
"He always asked about everyone's families," her sister said.
They were joined at the wake by their father, Mike Manley, who was friends for many years with Mr. Pires and shared a love of sports with him.
Several of those who attended the wake expressed that they could not believe that Mr. Pires, his death so sudden, had passed away.
"It's a shock," said cousin John Alves.
He had just recently seen him and complimented him on his weight loss.
In the past 14 months, Mr. Pires had taken up a regular exercise regimen and lost 40 pounds.
"I told him, 'You look good. Keep it up.'"
Three hours after the start of visiting hours, the line still extended well outside the entrance of the funeral home, and visitors continued to pay their respects till 9 p.m.
"This is his Super Bowl right here," said cousin Evan Lessa. "He was this important to us."
"To him, there was no separation between family and friends," said John Baptista, another cousin of Mr. Pires.
They talked about vast knowledge Mr. Pires possessed regarding the Patriots.
Mr. Lessa remembered getting a behind-the-scenes account of Randy Moss' trade to the Patriots.
"That was ESPN right there. That is the man," he said.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080630/NEWS/806300330
