Central to Daniel's fifteen years of life on this earth was his family.
Daniel's Mother, Linda
His mother, Linda, was clearly the central figure and mentor in Daniel's life. Linda's relationship with Daniel went beyond the typical loving relationship of a mother. Daniel's dad was somewhat of a workaholic, so it was Linda who kept the family together. It was her outpouring of love that had such a great impact on Daniel's life.
Linda especially worked hard to develop Daniel's self confidence, his values, and his work ethic. It was Linda who helped Daniel with his school work and musical lessons. Daniel's personality was much more like Linda's than his dad's, so the loss of Daniel was especially hard on her.
Linda is someone who considers herself a feminist, but she made the choice to not work outside of the home. It was a choice and sacrifice made by Daniel's parents to allow for more nurturing of their children. It was a choice that Linda often questioned, since whe saw many friends getting rewards from their jobs and workplaces. Yet her choice is one that she and Tom learned to appreciate, given that it allowed them to spend more quality time with Daniel.
Linda was born in Illinois but has spent nearly all her life in Colorado. She was raised on a farm outside Longmont, Colorado, 30 miles north of Denver. She is a graduate of Longmont High School and the University of Colorado. She has worked as a legal secretary and paralegal. Linda is the adopted daughter of Joe and Virginia Conner (both now deceased)--the source of Daniel's middle name.
Daniel's Father, Tom
His father, Tom, was more of an entertainer, debate partner and buddy for Daniel. They loved to play games and kid each other.
Tom works as a planning and grants manager at the Colorado Department of Transportation, promoting alternative transportation modes such as public transit, bicycles, and passenger rail. Tom was born and raised in the Finleyville area, 15 miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. Tom is a graduate of Ringgold High School and the University of Pittsburgh. He moved to Colorado in 1976. Tom is the son of a coal miner, Edward Mauser, and his wife Helen (both deceased).
Daniel's Sister, Christine
Daniel is survived by one sister, Christine, born in 1985. They were a very close brother and sister, though their personalities were quite different: Daniel was shy and Christie is more outgoing. While Daniel's personality was more like his mom's, Christie's personality was more like that of her dad. Christie is now a college graduate, having earned her Bachelors Degree at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.
Daniel and His Family are Honored with Various Awards
Honored in President Clinton's State of the Union Address
Tom attended the State of the Union address in January of 2000, where Daniel and he were both honored
by President Clinton. Tom says that being there was not a huge deal in and of itself. The loss of Daniel dwarfed
those kinds of special events. But there was a great moment--when the President said Daniel's name: Tom imagined
how Daniel's name was echoing across the land.
Mausers Recognized by Archdiocese
At a ceremony in 2002, the entire Mauser family was honored as "Peacekeepers" by the Social Concerns office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver. The Mausers were honored for turning away from violence and anger, despite what happened to their son, and turning their grief into something positive for the community. The
The Mauser family posing with Denver Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput.
family was noted for its volunteer work (with an AIDS patient), for helping raise money for a disabled girl and mission in Guatemala, and for their adoption of a baby from China. And Daniel and Christine were honored as helpers at Swedish Hospital.
Oh boy! Madeline makes a great first impression--pulling on the Archbishop's cross!
Other Recognition
- In June of 2000, Tom and Linda were recognized for their assistance to a lay Catholic organization that helps the poor in 25 developing nations. The Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA), based in Kansas City, recognized the Mausers at its annual meeting with its highest honor, the Pilgrimage of Faith award. It was given for their help in raising money to build a school and library in Guatemala. (Elsewhere in this web site we talk about CFCA and about our trip to Guatemala.
- In May of 2001 Tom was named Champion of Justice by the Alliance for Justice, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
- In 2003, Tom was honored along with five others by the National Education Association (NEA) for being a "community link" by addressing the issue of youth violence. Tom spoke to a group of 10,000 educators at an NEA convention in Los Angeles.
- In April 2000 the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics chose Tom as recipient of its Child Health and Welfare Award.
