Daniel (Dan) LaVietes, age 78, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, after a brief illness. He was the husband of TJP proofreader/copy editor, Phyllis LaVietes. They were married for 29 wonderful years.

Dan was known most of all for his zany sense of humor. He kept everyone in stitches with his jokes and his funny retelling of little stories in his life. Phyllis always said he should have been a stand-up comedian. He was loved by his family and many, many friends.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Joseph Ralph and Alice LaVietes, Dan went to Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. While at Brooklyn Poly, he became acquainted with Phyllis’ brother and visited their home often. At age 13, Phyllis was convinced that she had met the love of her life in Dan. But life intervened, and after Dan went away to Penn State University in 1963, they lost track of each other. Meantime he obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry at Penn State, and went on to work as a chemist in the pulp and paper industry in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Oregon and New Hampshire. While he was living in New Hampshire, Phyllis called his parents and got his contact information. They reconnected in 1991, and were married in the summer of 1992. They moved to DeSoto, Texas, in 1997, when he started working for Elk Corporation in Ennis, and then in 2004 they moved to the North Eruv in Dallas. Dan retired in 2011.

Dan was predeceased by his parents and his daughter Becky LaVietes. He is survived by his children Debi Clark and Steve LaVietes, and three grandchildren, as well as by his loving wife Phyllis and her large family.

The funeral and interment took place Nov. 4 at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York, with Rabbi Zecharia Sionit, of Sephardic Torah Center of Dallas, officiating.

Please consider donations in Dan’s memory to Sephardic Torah Center of Dallas, Congregation Ohev Shalom and/or Congregation Toras Chaim.