Daniel E. Harnen Sr. of Vineyard Haven died Jan. 14 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. He was 82.

He was born on Feb. 7, 1936 in Kingston N.Y. and grew up in Butler, N.J. He graduated from Butler High School in 1955.

He was a consummate salesman who loved people and the art of the sale. He began his sales career at the Colonial House furniture store in Bloomingdale N.J. After several years in retail sales, he became a sales representative for several large furniture manufacturers. He then branched off into industrial sales, ultimately retiring from W.W. Grainger, Inc. in 2000.

He was proud to have served in the U.S. Air Force and was deployed to Europe in 1960 in support of the Berlin crisis.

He and his wife Barbara retired to Martha’s Vineyard in 2001, where he took on many hobbies, including woodworking, furniture refinishing and cultivating bonsai trees. He was a founding member and past president of the Martha’s Vineyard Bonsai Club, through which he made many of his closest friends.

He was always the life of the party and loved to entertain. He and Barbara hosted numerous gatherings at their homes in New Jersey and on the Vineyard. He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather who will be forever missed by his family and all of his wonderful friends.

Survivors include sons Dan Harnen of Centerville, Ohio, and Mark Harnen of Canonsburg, Penn., and six grandchildren. He was predeceased in by his wife Barbara (Dahill).

A memorial mass will be celebrated at Grace Episcopal Church in Vineyard Haven on June 1 at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in the memorial garden of the church, near his beloved wife.

Donations can be made to Grace Episcopal Church, PO Box 1197, Vineyard Haven MA 02568 or Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, PO Box 1748, Vineyard Haven MA 02568.

Visit ccgfuneralhome.com for online guestbook and information.