Herman C. Dailey, former Philadelphia firefighter, Coast Guard veteran, and transportation coordinator, has died at 70
He was a loyal friend, a Freemason, a mentor to young people, and his family said his cinnamon rolls were the best they ever tasted.
Herman C. Dailey, 70, of Germantown, a former Philadelphia firefighter, Coast Guard veteran, transportation coordinator, and home renovation specialist, died Saturday, April 2, of cardiovascular disease at Hillcrest Center in Wyncote.
Mr. Dailey worked for 23 years in the Philadelphia Fire Department as a firefighter and paramedic. He served a year in the Coast Guard, worked for nearly a decade as transportation coordinator for Community Education Partners, and was in big demand for his skill in remodeling kitchens and bathrooms, carpentry, painting, and other home improvements.
He joined the Fire Department in 1974, helped fight fires and perform emergency aid and rescue operations, drove all kinds of trucks, and served until 1997. He then worked for nearly a decade with Philadelphia-based Community Education Partners overseeing the transportation needs of students who attended the company’s disciplinary school and other alternative programs.
Interested in the students’ futures as well as their daily routines, Mr. Dailey also served as a mentor to many of those he encountered, and his wife, Donna, said they greeted him fondly when they came upon him later. “He was a talker,” said his wife. “And he talked to the kids. He wanted to be an example of doing the right thing.”
Herb Richardson, a childhood friend, said Mr. Dailey was popular as a boy and learned carpentry and upholstery skills from Richardson’s father and others and sharpened them into a craft he practiced for the rest of his life. He remodeled his own homes in East Oak Lane and Germantown, did side jobs for friends and neighbors, and worked for a time with a general contractor.
“He was bright,” Richardson said. “He knew a little about everything. He was a sponge for information.”
Born April 4, 1951, Mr. Dailey grew up in the Brewerytown section of North Philadelphia. He graduated from Thomas Edison High School and was influenced greatly by his older brother, Curtis, a community leader and business owner. Curtis Dailey died earlier.
Richardson said he and Mr. Dailey and another friend, thanks to their parents, were able to avoid the gang violence of the time and followed similar career paths to rewarding public service jobs. He said Mr. Dailey loved cars, and the teens took memorable road trips to New York, Atlantic City, and Washington.
The friends learned to dance at the same time and played marathon games of Monopoly. “He was always up for an adventure and persistent in the completion of something,” Richardson said.
Mr. Dailey met Donna King at a party, and their first date was to see the movie Camelot. They got married in 1977 and had son Justin. “Herm was very personable,” she said. “He could be in a room full of strangers, and he’d fit right in.”
The son of a baker, Mr. Dailey knew his way around the kitchen, too, and often provided a variety of cookies, cakes, and other confections to family, friends, and colleagues at the firehouse on holidays and other special occasions. The consensus was that cinnamon rolls were his specialty.
He could identify a car’s make and model with just a glance and liked to watch Formula One races on TV. He was a Freemason, collected stamps and coins, and enjoyed gardening.
“He was a good friend to people,” his wife said. “He stayed close to his friends and would do anything for them.”
In an online tribute, a friend wrote: ”I will always remember my Vaux Junior High classmate.”
In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Dailey is survived by three grandchildren, two sisters, and other relatives.
Services were held Tuesday, April 12.
Donations in his name may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kan. 66675.