April 23, 2020
Elite Electronic Engineering mourns the loss of a valued member of our technical staff, Dan Crowder. On April 19, 2020, with his loving wife, Donna, and sons Daniel and David at his side, Dan passed from this life. All of us at Elite are heartbroken as we say farewell to our colleague and to our dear friend, Dan.
A member of the Elite family for over 31 years, Dan came to Elite upon graduating from DeVry University with an Electrical Engineering degree. During his time he quickly distinguished himself as an expert in his field of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and in particular radio equipment testing, regulatory requirements, and transmitter certification. Dan went on to become the Team Leader for Elite’s Regulatory Testing and Certification Department. He anchored Elite’s technical expertise in wireless device testing and created our ISO 17065 certification system for FCC, Canadian, and European certifications. He was a founding member of the Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB) Council and served on various ANSI C63 technical committees contributing to the development of testing standards for radio equipment.
He was incredibly dedicated to and serious about his work at Elite, and his talents will be missed. However, for those of us who worked with him on a daily basis, it’s his playful sense of humor, quick wit, and warmth that will stand out in our memories. A gentle giant of a man, Dan embodied intelligence, humor, and humility – qualities we all admired and will leave us missing him more.
For all he meant to Elite and his co-workers, we knew his true passion in life was being a husband and father to his two sons. Dan was a self-described “Poppa Bear, and proud of it”. He loved life whether it was riding his motorcycle, playing paintball with the boys, riding dirt bikes, or relaxing by cooking for him and Donna.
We all have a new angel tuning in and watching over us. Farewell, dear friend, you will be missed.
“It saddens me to think of the world without Dan. I have known him since he started at Elite. Dan is someone you could always count on to do his best work – always the professional. From the beginning, he had a talent for EMC testing. He had a vast knowledge of the radio standards and regulatory requirements that could not be beaten. But what I remember most fondly is his wonderful attitude and light-hearted sense of humor. “
– Raymond Klouda, President
“Dan fought hard and long but cancer and treatments finally got the best of him. He was a member of the Elite family for over 31 years and was liked by many of our customers and colleagues. Dan enjoyed his family and the outdoors. Early on in our friendship, he and I went pheasant hunting and fishing together. Dan had the knack for playing with everything in somebody’s vehicle. He would always be fiddling with the electronics in my boat or car. Later in life, after his boys were growing up, his attention turned to motorcycle riding and the occasional long trip with his buddies. We carpooled to work together for the last 15+ years and had a lot of in-depth conversations about every topic known to man. He was a great friend to many of us and will be greatly missed. Please keep his wife and two sons in your prayers as they go through a very tough time in their life. May he rest in peace.”
– Craig Fanning, EMC Laboratory Manager
“Dan was without question one of the most level-headed and clear-thinking people I have ever known. He had a sense of humor that was completely disarming, and at the same time was incredibly dedicated to, and serious about his work at Elite. He had a fierce love for his family and his friends, and he was definitely very proud of his boys – that is how I will remember him. My condolences to the Crowder family. Dan will definitely be missed.”
– Stan Dolecki, Automotive EMC Team Expert
“It is without a doubt one of the hardest things I’ve had to witness while working at Elite, the loss of such a valuable and respected member of our Elite family. I’ve had the privilege to work side by side with Dan since I started at Elite and he’s been my mentor and friend these last 22 years. I will miss his guidance and his ability to make the best out of any situation. We’ve lost a big part of our Elite family and I hope that we can take the lessons we’ve all learned from Dan to heart. My condolences to the Crowder family.”
– Rick King, FCC/CE Mark Team Leader
“Dan was an amazing person. He was a very hard worker but also knew how to have fun. He was so very proud of his boys and their accomplishments; a true family man. We all have a new angel watching over us; rest in peace dear friend. You will be missed.”
– Elaine Russo, Finance Manager
“I remember when Dan first started at Elite. We had a lot of fun performing EMC tests which made it fun to come to work. We worked on several projects together and I enjoyed getting to know Dan. I was fortunate to be around when he first met his wife Donna. Dan enjoyed life, and he was definitely very proud of his boys. Please keep his wife Donna and two sons (David and Daniel) in your prayers as they go through a very tough time in their life. He is now in a better place and without pain. I will miss Dan and his sense of humor.”
– Patrick Hall, Military/Aerospace EMC Team Leader
“Dan was a warm-hearted guy that would always take the time to ask how you were doing. Dan would walk through the lab and greet everyone like the Mayor of Elite. I know that he truly loved Donna and his boys David and Daniel. I had the pleasure of working with the boys and would say that Dan did a great job with his part in raising them. I will be praying for Donna and the boys. Dan, we will miss you!”
– John Lindberg, Environmental Laboratory Manager
“Dan wasn’t just a colleague; he was a good friend too. I may have learned a lot from Dan professionally, but what I’ll always admire most about Dan is what he taught me (and all of us) about being a good person and friend. He was one of the best people I ever met, one of the most fun to be around, and the easiest person there ever was to get along with. Dan was a legend. I am honored and privileged to have spent the last 20 years knowing him. The Crowder and Elite families will miss Dan profoundly, but the love, friendship, and knowledge that Dan gave to all of us will live on forever.”
– Adam Rohman, Scheduler / Project Manager
“Dan was a great mentor. He didn’t just give you the answer; he sat down and helped you work through the problem. He taught you how to come up with solutions yourself. He always stressed the importance of quality and developing methods to improve Elite. The mid-afternoon breaks where we went outside to enjoy the sunshine will be greatly missed. It has been a pleasure to grow professionally with him and I hope he was as proud of us as we are of him.”
– Robert Bugielski, Quality Manager
“I am going miss many things about Dan Crowder, the daily old man jokes from his calendar, hearing about the motorcycle trips he took with either Donna or his other friends, hearing about, and occasionally sampling, all the meals that were cooked on his Big Green Egg and seeing the top of his head over his tall monitor as he worked at his desk and hearing his laugh. He seemed to live life to its fullest, which is what we can all hope for. It was always fun to see him and the family at the annual Elite picnics and see his boys grow up into the wonderful men they are now. It is a privilege to have worked with him all these years through good times and bad. I can only think of the Billy Joel song “Only the Good Die Young” when someone so full of life is taken so soon. We will all miss you, Dan. No more pain and suffering. Rest in Peace Dan!”
– Frank Bowes, Sr. EMC Engineer
Join Elite’s monthly newsletter for the latest on standards, test procedures, fascinating facts, profiles of Elite engineers, and more. Fill out the form below to become part of our global community!