Daniel Lynn Dolan

ASHEVILLE - Daniel Lynn Dolan, M.D., age 80, died Thursday, May 26, 2011, in Asheville, NC. He was born September 30, 1930, in Wichita, Kansas, to Leonard Zadok Dolan and Helen Elizabeth Axline Dolan. In 1948, Dan graduated from high school in Oak Ridge, TN. He attended Vanderbilt University as an undergraduate and earned his medical degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1955. Between 1957 and 1959, he was based in Japan as a Captain in the United States Air Force. From 1961 to 1977, Dan practiced internal medicine in Springfield, MO. Moving to Asheville in 1977, he accepted the role of Director of Continuing Medical Education at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). Dan was also a Professor of Medicine with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He retired in 1995. In 1957, Dan married Betsy Firestone Bowers, a nursing student at Vanderbilt. Betsy died in 2010. Dan is survived by his son, David M. Dolan, daughter-in-law, Mary, and granddaughter, Lindsay, each of Farmers Branch, TX. Dan enjoyed a lifelong passion for classical music. In Oak Ridge, he played the clarinet and performed in several bands and orchestras. In college, he formed "Dan Dolan and the Blue Notes," which played at various events. While in Springfield, Dan conducted a Charles Ives piece with the local symphony. He was well-read on his favorite composers and conductors, and he prided himself on his extensive music collection. Dan also was known for his knowledge of history, particularly as it related to the Civil War. He appreciated military strategy and was familiar with many local battlefields. His other interests included photography, fishing, and camping with his son in the Boy Scouts. Dan's cremated remains will be interred in a family plot within historic Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, MD. A private graveside service will be held. He will be missed by his family, friends and colleagues. Tax-deductible memorial contributions may be made to the Deerfield Residency Fund at 1617 Hendersonville Rd., Asheville, NC 28803. West Family Funeral Home, 17 Merrimon Ave., Weaverville, NC, is assisting the family. www.WestFamily FuneralServices.com