Beloved UA SLHS Emeritus Professor, Dan Boone, Will Be Missed

Oct. 30, 2018
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picture collage of Dr. Daniel Boone

We are sad to share the news that University of Arizona SLHS Emeritus Professor, Dan Boone, our dear friend and colleague, passed away on Friday, October 26th, 2018. Dr. Boone had a tremendous impact on so many lives. We will miss him dearly.

Below is Dr. Boone's obituary, shared by his family:

Daniel R. Boone, son of Claude B. and Pearl L. Boone, was born in Chicago, IL on October 30, 1927.  Dr. Boone died suddenly on October 27th, 2018, three days shy of his 91st birthday.  He is survived by Mary Mosenthal Boone, his loving wife of 63 years and their four children: Penny (Gaston Marchand), James (Mary Anne), Robert (Christine) and Rebecca (Paul Morin).  Dr. Boone was devoted to his eight grandchildren:  Matthew Marchand, Dianna Boone, Elizabeth Boone, Jesse Boone, Cory Boone, Elliott Morin, Max Morin, and Nicholas Morin.  Boone is also survived by his deceased sister Barbara’s three children: nephews James and David Brueggemann and niece Anne Brueggemann.

In the middle of the great depression in 1936, Dan moved with his family from Deerfield, IL to join his father’s retired parents in Long Beach, CA.  Their crowded two-bedroom home was fortunately for Dan only two blocks from the ocean to which he could escape, enjoying the beach and surf, two passions he enjoyed for a great part of his life.  In Wilson High School in Long Beach, he was active in drama, journalism, USO tours, and track, graduating in 1945 and immediately joining the US Army.

After several US assignments (Ft. Lewis, WA and Brooke General Hospital, San Antonio, TX), Boone was sent in October 1946, to the army of occupation in Korea.  After his honorable discharge in June 1947, he spent the next four years in college, switching from radio-television at the University of Redlands to a major in speech pathology with a psychology minor, graduating with a BA in June 1951.  From 1951-1953, he worked as a speech pathologist at the Long Beach VA Hospital with veterans who had lost their speech (aphasia) in either WW II or the Korean war.  Boone subsequently studied and received both a MA (1954) and a Ph.D. (1958) from Western Reserve University in Cleveland. 

Dr. Boone had a series of academic appointments: Assistant Professor at Western Reserve University, 1960-1963; Associate Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center, 1963-1966; Professor, University of Denver, 1966-1973; Professor, University of Arizona, 1973-1988 and Professor Emeritus, 1988-present.  For the first 20 years of his professional career, Dr. Boone was active clinically and in research with various neurogenic disorders (aphasia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s).  With the success of his voice text, The Voice and Voice Therapy, now in its 9th edition, Boone devoted the last 40 years plus of his career to voice disorders and treatment.

Since the voice book was printed in seven languages, Dan and Mary traveled the world in the past 30 years.  Dan would be invited to present a lecture or a workshop, which would be followed by a personal tour of the country they were visiting.  As a writer, Dr. Boone published over 100 professional articles and 18 published books.  In both Kansas and Colorado, he was elected president of that state’s speech and hearing organization.  He served both as Vice President and President of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), receiving both Fellowship and Honors from that organization.

Dr. Boone recently completed his 18th book, Trouble Talking, which is a personal narrative path describing the communication disorders of 40 of his most memorable patients.

The Boone family was always active in hiking, camping, canoeing, sports like baseball and tennis from their days in Kansas and Colorado.  The family spent many vacation days visiting national parks and family relatives.  Dan and Mary both loved tennis, playing well into their mid-80s.  Dan joined Mary in their love of both jazz and classical music, theater, and keeping their gardens in bloom and in order.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dan’s memory can be made to the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences (U of A), or the Tucson Symphony, or the Arizona Theatre Company.

There will be a Celebration of Life service for Dan on December 8th at 10 am to be followed by a lunch reception at Grace Community Church, 9755 N. La Cholla Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85742.

Online donations can be made to the University of Arizona Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences hereThere is an opportunity to fill in the tribute information indicating the gift is in honor of Dr. Dan Boone.

Checks can be made out to "The University of Arizona Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences", with Dr. Boone's name in the memo or an accompanying note, sent to: UA Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, 1131 E 2nd St, Tucson, AZ 85721. Please call (520) 621-1644 with any questions.