Dana G. Mann, the town of Arlington’s director of assessments, died at Lahey Hospital in Burlington on Sunday, July 12, with his family by his side. He was 61.
“It is with great sadness that we share the obituary and funeral information for Dana Mann, who passed away,” according to an annoucment from the town. “Dana was a valued member of the team who served the town with dedication for 10 years and will be sorely missed by his colleagues at Town Hall as well as the public he served.”
Mr. Mann served as the town’s director of assessments since 2016. A quiet leader, who shunned the spotlight, will be remembered as an official who could explain the complex details of the town’s real estate and property base with ease. He was regularly seen at Town Meeting sessions and appearing at the Select Board meetings.
Visitation for Mr. Mann will be held on Saturday, July 25 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington.
Born in Woburn on May 6, 1965, Mr. Mann was one of seven children born to the late George A. and Helen L. (Hammond) Mann. He was raised in Burlington and graduated with the Burlington High School Class of 1983. During his high school years, he played football and formed friendships that would remain among the most treasured and enduring relationships of his life. Together, this close-knit group shared countless memories through annual birthday celebrations, poker nights, bocce tournaments, and gatherings that continued right up until his passing.
In 1986, he met the love of his life, Laurie (Rodan) and they were married for more than 38 years. The couple were introduced through Dana’s brother Jamie and Laurie’s best friend Linda, and their connection was immediate, cementing the four of them as best-friends. In 1988, the two were married in their forever home in Billerica, where they built a beautiful life together and raised their family.
In 1994, Mr. Mann began his career in government banking at Medford Savings Bank, eventually moving to Citizen’s Bank and TD Bank. In 2016, he made a career change and started working for the town of Arlington Assessors, got his Assessors certification in 2018, and ended his career as the director of assessments.
As a husband and father, Mr. Mann “was the gold standard when it came to unconditional love, quiet devotion, and unwavering support. He never needed grand gestures to show how much he cared; instead, he expressed his love through the thoughtful acts he performed every single day. One of his greatest love languages was food. Whether he was preparing a meal for close friends and family or firing up the charcoal grill for gatherings of more than forty people, Dana took great pride in bringing people together around the table. Yearly Thanksgivings became legendary among family and friends, and he could always be found cooking away, with his trusted sous-chef, Laurie, by his side,” according to the published death notice.
Mr. Mann was also a gifted craftsman who never shied away from a challenge. He enjoyed tackling home improvement projects of every size and spent years transforming the family home through countless renovations, additions, and improvements. Working alongside his brothers on these projects brought him tremendous pride and strengthened the already unbreakable bond they shared. Together they took on enormous projects, building an addition on the house, and most recently a garage.
While Mr. Mann enjoyed many hobbies and interests, nothing brought him greater joy than being on the water. Over the years, family camping trips in tents evolved into summers spent at waterfront cabins, afternoons sailing, and countless adventures with those he loved most. His passion for boating eventually led him to earn his captain’s license alongside Rick, one of his lifelong high school friends. Whether sailing, boating, or simply sitting by the shore, he felt most at peace near the water. One of his most cherished memories was a family vacation where he captained a catamaran in the Caribbean with his entire family and niece Brittany aboard, creating an experience they would treasure forever.
He will be remembered as the kind of man who would do anything for anyone. He was loving, kind, dependable, and quick with a dry sense of humor that could bring a smile to any situation. More than anything, he was a devoted family man whose loved ones never once had to question how much he cared.
Along with his loving wife, Laurie, Mr. Mann is survived by his children, Katelynn Mann and her fiancée Kashe Marchak-Wansor of Watertown, and Delan Mann of Billerica; siblings, Gail Gray and her husband, James, of Huntingtown, MD, Gary Mann and his wife, Michelle, of Manchester, NH, Helen Haneef and her husband, Masud, of Canton, Jamie Mann and his wife, Linda, of Tewksbury, and Graham Mann of Woburn; his dear in-laws, Bill Rodan and his wife Pat of Hampton, NH and his brother-in-law Mark Rodan, as well as many other beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and devoted friends. He was predeceased by his older sister Janet.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend visitation on Saturday, July 25 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington. As an expression of sympathy, in lieu of flowers, donations in Mr. Mann’s honor may be made either to The American Kidney Association or DaVita Kidney Care.
This obituary, published July 17, 2026, was prepared using the published death notice. It will be updated.
