Loved working out and going on vacations with his family
WAKEFIELD — Richard “Dana” Vining, 62 of Wakefield, died peacefully at his home on Friday, July 8. He was born in Melrose on May 10, 1960. He was the son of Judith Vining (Gillis) and the late Arthur L. Vining.
Dana attended Wakefield High School where he played football. He graduated in 1978 and went on to Merrimack College where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. He worked for the FDA in Stoneham and Florida before joining the DEA in 1997. He worked for the DEA Houston, Texas division until he retired in 2011.
As a kid Dana was always running around the Greenwood neighborhood with his friends from Wakefield and Melrose. Dana loved working out and going on vacations with his family to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket every year. He enjoyed watching Bruins games, NASCAR races, and was a Miami Dolphins fan. Although fighting lifelong medical issues, Dana always had a smile on his face and made time for his family whom he loved dearly.
Dana is survived by his mother Judith A. Vining, his brother Leonard M. Vining, his niece Brittany S. Vining, her fiancé Christopher W. Roberto and their three kids Sophia R. Caruso, Anthony A. Roberto, and Vincent Dana Roberto. He was predeceased by his father Arthur L. Vining and Grandmother Lillian R. Gillis.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated in Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 1155 Main St., Wakefield, on Thursday, July 14 at 11 a.m. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield, on Wednesday, July 13 from 4 – 7 p.m.
