Daniel G. Bay

Then there was silence. For fifty-nine years the world was a better place, brightened by the presence of Dan Bay. The dedicated husband of Michelle, father to Brandon, Kelsey and Ryan; uncle, cousin, businessman, golfer, musician, diver, beer connoisseur and genuine friend to many others, left this world after a battle with cancer.

Dan grew up in Clifton, New Jersey with his mom Mary (Lee) Bay, and sisters Theresa DiFabrizio, and Mary Pickett. For a time during a transition in his mom’s life the young family moved back into the house his mom grew up in, and lived with his extended family the Van Winkles on Barberry Lane. Aunt Cele and Uncle Hank became his secondary parents along with his cousins Charlie, Harold and Cele (Degnan) who were more like his brothers and sisters. The extended family often thought of themselves as the Brady Bunch, which was a popular TV show at the time, and life at Barberry Lane was not unlike the antics of the show.

When Mary Lee was back on her feet and decided it was time to move out, she eventually found her way to a house on Fenner Avenue in Clifton. She married her landlord Joe Bay, and a couple of years later Joe adopted Dan and his sisters, leading to the Bay family. In June of 1975 Theresa, Mary, and Danny welcomed a new brother Joseph to the Bay family. 

The Fenner Avenue house was in an older section of Clifton in a neighborhood that was becoming gentrified, but still had some cool features like tiny front yard, but a big back yard with tall trees and a barn.  The carriage paths had been paved over long ago and with all that pavement and blacktop around Dan and his friends adopted the skateboard as their primary means of transportation. Dan and his friends built only what could be described as a “huge” half pipe in the backyard. Often you would see two or three guys skateboarding down Valley Road each with a 4x8 sheet of plywood on their backs, transporting “donated” materials for the construction of the half pipe. Upon completion, it was the place to be if you were a skateboarder. 

When he wasn’t skateboarding, Dan had the room on the third floor (attic) of the house, which is where he picked up a guitar, and learned how to play. Eventually he convinced Mr. Clair the next-door neighbor to let him and his friends use his empty carriage house garage for band practice.  They would jam for a little, skate on the half pipe, and then jam some more. Somewhere between Montclair State College and bartending he met this girl from Wayne, New Jersey named Michelle Fabrizi, where a little spark turned into something more.  Michelle’s college path brought her to the University of San Diego (USD) and her parents moved from NJ to San Diego. It wasn’t long after that Dan and his friend Rich Looney got into Dan’s car and drove west to San Diego.  To pay the bills, Dan got a job as a salesman with a food distributor which became the foundation of his sales career.  Rich found his way back to New Jersey but Dan was in California to stay.

Dan took advantage of the California lifestyle and learned how to dive getting certified with Michelle’s father. He would often go diving with Michelle’s brother Gary off the coast of La Jolla while on the hunt for abalone.  But it was the golf club that ignited another passion, and the California weather was much more conducive to golfing than the North Jersey winters.

After Dan and Michelle were married in 1995, they settled in Encinitas and were blessed with the birth of Brandon, Kelsey and eventually Ryan.  Dan’s sister Theresa and her husband Don moved in around the corner with their three children Theresa (little T), David, and Lauren. While the two families didn’t live together under the same roof, an evolution of the east coast ‘Brady Bunch’ of Dan’s childhood emerged.

Dan succeeded in his work with AbbVie. He was an integral part of the company for over 30 years and eventually became a National Director. He was an All Star winner 10 times which demonstrated his loyalty and work ethic, while building long lasting relationships with his colleagues.

Dan loved exploring craft beers with his family, including the Pisacanes and Wotrubas who live in Santa Barbara. Weekends were full of his children’s baseball games, basketball games, cheer competitions, and golf with his buddies. He and his family went on amazing trips to France, Ireland, Scotland, and Mexico. His favorite place to visit though was Hawaii, as it held a special place for him and his family.

Dan loved his family without exception. His larger friend group, including his AbbVie and golf friends, showed unwavering support to him during his illness. His phone was so busy with texts and emails of encouragement that Michelle thought she needed a communications director.  We are all better for having Dan Bay in our lives, and all saddened by his passing. 

Ohana is the Hawaiian word for family. His ohana included his relatives and family, but also his friends and colleagues that he loved. We were all blessed to be part of his Ohana.

A private Celebration of Life is scheduled, please reach out to tdifabrizio@gmail.com for more information.

Please share any photos and memories on Dan’s memorial website at bit.ly/DANBAY  (case sensitive).

We miss you Dan.   

With love,

Charlie Van Winkle and Theresa (Little T) DiFabrizio