OBITUARY: ‘Renaissance Man’ Daniel Charles Mestayer Jr., 85, of Indialantic, Passed Away

Dan served two tours aboard the carrier USS Independence for the U.S. Navy

BREVARD COUNTY • INDIALANTIC, FLORIDA – Daniel Charles Mestayer, Jr. was a renaissance man. A beloved husband and father, Dan was born on February 28, 1936, in New Iberia, Louisiana. He grew-up hunting and fishing (a life-long passion) in the bayous and gulf waters of southwest Louisiana, Cajun Country.

He played trombone in the city band and was active in sports and his local community. After being awarded a degree in Physics, Dan joined the Navy served two tours aboard the carrier USS Independence as a Squadron Electronics Officer, including during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

He met his life’s love, Judee O’Donnell, when he and Mom’s brother, a naval aviator, became friends. Uncle Bob brought home Dan for a visit and the rest is history; they married on June 29, 1963. Dad was recruited to Radiation, Inc. by a classmate from college and they moved to the frontier that was Melbourne, Florida.

While Dan built satellite ground stations, Judee built a home, and together they raised three children – Daniel, III, Robert, and Lisa with lots of love, tennis playing, and time spent fishing and diving in the ocean, Indian River Lagoon and St. Johns River basin.

In the early 1970s, Dad was awarded a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from FIT. They were very active in their parish communities first at Our Lady of Lourdes and then as Founding Members of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

Dan lost Judee three years ago and has been heartbroken since. He will be greatly missed by his children and eight grandchildren – Matthew, Sarah, Robert, Triston, Nicholas, Leah, Ethan, and Dakota, and his extended family. We would like to thank the staff and volunteers at the William Childs Hospice House for making our last days together as peaceful as possible.

A Memorial Service will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church 3870 South Highway A-1-A, Melbourne Beach, Florida beginning at 11 a.m, on Saturday, November 20 with a reception in the hall to follow.

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