Posted By Les Conklin on Jun 24, 2016

Courtesy of the Brothers of Delta Sigma Chapter, Sigma Chi Fraternity, University of Rhode Island

Edited by Les Conklin ’60

In 1960, Germano became the first blind person to graduate from the University of Rhode. This photo is from the 1960 URI yearbook.

“When you hear the word ‘disabled,’ people think about people who can’t walk or talk or do everything that people take for granted. Now, I take nothing for granted. But I find the real disability in people who can’t find joy in life and are bitter.” Teri Garr

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” Winston Churchill

Daniel Germano, known by friends and family as “Duke,” “Dan,” “Sonny,” or “Brother Germano,” passed away on Sunday, March 27, 2016. He was our friend, fraternity brother, and also the first blind person to graduate from the University of Rhode Island.  At the time, his disability made him obviously different from others, but there is much more to his life story than that. This tribute consists of a collection of humorous stories provided by Germano’s Sigma Chi brothers. Most of the events included in these vignettes took place during his years at URI, between 1956 and 1960. The stories speak for themselves, as does his obituary, which you will find at the end of this article.

Is making a good first impression really important?

“During his freshman year, Dan was following a sidewalk, practicing his  route to classes. He accidentally bumped into Dean Quinn, the university’s dean of men. Quinn told him to watch where he was going, to which Dan replied, ‘I am blind, what is your excuse?’ The good dean then introduced himself.”

Bob Pearson ’59

Independence!

“We pledged Sigma Chi in the same year and I got to know Duke well. When I first met him, I noticed his shoe was untied and offered to tie it for him. He let me know in no uncertain terms that he could tie his own shoelaces.”

Claude H. Trottier ’60

Recruiting Germano Style

“As a reader for Duke, I got to know the tenacity of his study. The force and speed that he used to pound on his Braille writer often indicated how his mind was working, his attitude toward the subject, and the effort needed to make it ‘sink in,’ either machine gun rapid or stolidly ordered.

“But the best memory is during rush week when we would gather potential pledges in the living room and I know the most effective ‘speech’ by any brother was always Duke’s. He would stand and ‘gaze’ around the room just as a sighted person would, and then pausing and with a sly grin he would say, ‘As I look around at each of you with my 20/500 vision, I see some great potential Sigma Chis.’ That usually broke the room up with both brothers and candidates laughing and appreciating his humorous approach to ‘recruiting.'”

Tom McIntosh ’59

Introduction to Many Car Memories

“Duke had a car in college.  One would have expected him to have a dog  but apparently someone figured he needed a car to get around in an out of the way place like URI. Duke liked to drive the car in the Keaney gymnasium parking lot. One late evening, we ran out of gas on a bridge in East Providence. A policeman showed up and instructed Duke to drive and the rest of us push the car.  That was a memorable  experience.”

Claude H. Trottier ’60

Transportation Independence: “THE Car” Story #1

“Without a doubt,  the best job I ever had was being a reader for Duke Germano. I met him our freshman year in the dorms and we both ended up pledging Sigma Chi. We took some of the same courses and I became a reader for at least one course every semester, e.g. industrial management and economics.

“It was a great gig. Duke signed off on my reading hours then I got paid by the State of Rhode Island. So usually, I was getting paid to read and study material that I had to study anyway, and, believe it or not, Duke was a serious student.

“I would read the text book to him and he would use a stylus or his Braille typewriter to take notes. He had stacks of folders filled with those notes.  When test times came, we would get together and review our notes. Duke and I were good friends but our reading sessions were very focused on the task at hand.

“During one reading session, he told me that he wanted to buy a car. Why? I asked. He responded that he would have more freedom and could be less reliant on others for transportation. At the time, many students at URI did not have cars. He believed, correctly, that if he had a car he could always find someone to drive on dates, to get home, to the store, etc.

“There was a challenge. The state was paying for his college and he had zero money to buy a car. Somehow, most of the money for the car came directly through the people he worked with at the state. In addition, reading hours were bumped up by the establishment of a special study project, which was closed when the car was purchased and Duke had the transportation independence he wanted.  Years later, in 1967, after graduate school, Duke worked for the governor of Rhode Island. Evidently, his car was never discussed – or perhaps it was – in his job interview.”

Les Conklin ’60

Practice Makes Perfect: “THE Car” Story #2

“Duke used to keep his car parked at the large parking lot near the Keaney gym. We would go there at night, when it was quiet,  and he would drive his car around the empty parking lot. How else could he perfect his driving touch?”

Les Conklin ’60

A Humorous Touch: “THE Car” Story #3

“Dan did not like to double date while he was at URI. So, he bought a car with an automatic shift and asked out sighted girls who could drive. I got to use the car when it was not in use for its desired purpose. He said I got to see my dates, he got to feel his (their faces of course).”

Bob Pearson ’59

A Chi O, Signed, Sealed, and Delivered: “THE Car” Story #4 (Bob, Now you know the rest of the story.)

“You will remember that Duke had a car for a period of time; I think he convinced someone that he needed a car so that he could do certain research (???). Well, in any case, one Sunday evening, I was in the library looking for some old exams in our files, and there was a loud knock at our front door. I opened the door and there stood this young Chi O in her red blazer. She was there asking for Duke; she was picking him up, and she was driving his car on a date.”

Bob Ayotte ’59

Early Wake Up Call

“I have very fond?? memories of Duke coming in from a late night study  session or a relaxing trip ‘down the line,’ throwing open the sleeping deck door with his accordion in-hand, and serenading all of us with ‘When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that’s amore.’  A resounding round of groggy boos and hisses followed.”

Bob Schachner ’60

Lost in a winter wonderland. Whatever works.

“Duke and I were both taking a class in industrial management.  The class was taught by a dreaded and cold-hearted professor, who flunked as many students as he passed. Slackers received no mercy!

“One Saturday morning, it had snowed a little and it was very cold outside. Duke decided to sleep in and cut class. Dutifully, I trudged off to North Hall for class without any problem at all. At the next class, the following Tuesday, the professor asked Duke why he had missed Saturday’s lecture. Germano told him that he had struggled to make it to class but was unable to find the sidewalk in the snow and had become lost. Of course, the dreaded professor accepted his tale without question.”

Les Conklin ’60

Officer, you made me to do it!

“One weekend in 1958, I was driving Dan home to Bristol for the weekend, when his car stopped in a large construction area at the east end of Washington Bridge during the I-195 expansion. We not only blocked traffic, but large trucks were working the area. I couldn’t restart the car and a policeman arrived at my window. He told me to get out and help push the car out of the construction area. He told Dan to slide over and steer. With Dan steering and me yelling, “Left,” Right,” “Hit the brakes” until we were completely out of the construction area, about 100 yards. When the policeman found out that Dan was blind, he radioed for help for us.”

Bob Pearson ’59

What could possibly go wrong?

“I remember the first time I met Duke.  A bunch of us were ‘down the line,’ having way too much fun and when it came time to go back to campus we all realized we were not in very good shape to be driving.  We looked around at everyone who was there and decided under the circumstances Duke was our best bet to get home.  So, he drove with about six of us telling him to go fast or slow down turn left or turn right.  By some miracle we got back to the fraternity house unscathed.  We had a blast and Duke loved it!”

Dave Roebuck ’61

Fun and Games

“I have many memories of him playing hit ball (judging when to swing by the sound of the ball hitting the ground) in his backyard in Bristol and also of bowling. I also remember going to the movies and whispering bits and pieces of what was on the screen. I was always surprised by how detailed his summary of the film was after we left the theater.

“I also remember the games of high low jack that we played at his home with his blind sister and her blind husband. The cards were all Brailed. hardly ever won.”

Bob Pearson ’59

The Road Les Travelled

“It was a road trip with four of us (I think) heading to the Portuguese American Club in Bristol, Rhode Island. I drove my  ’38 Buick. I was an out-of-state student and had no idea how to get to Bristol. It was Duke’s home town, so he directed us there, e.g. watch for a motel, then turn left, etc. We made it to the club. Everybody knew ‘Sonny’ and before long he was on the stage playing the accordion. The members of the club kept ordering and paying for rounds of beer for all Sonny’s friends. It was like dying and going to heaven.

“All good things must end and closing time arrived. As driver, I had a challenge. Duke, whose memory had gotten us there could barely remember his name, much less the way home. I vaguely recall stopping at a diner. We were a bit rowdy and were kicked out, even before having a much-needed cup of coffee. We drove on into the night. Eventually, the gas ran out and the car lurched to an abrupt stop on a  very dark and empty road.

“We decided to deal with the problem in the morning, got comfortable, and closed our eyes. Suddenly, Duke, who could sense light, shouted ‘car,’ opened his door,  leaped from the Buick into the road while vigorously waiving his white cane at the oncoming car. The incredulous driver stopped, fortunately before flattening Duke. The good Samaritan drove us back to the fraternity house. In the morning, nobody had any idea where the Buick was. It took us a couple of hours of driving to find it quietly waiting beside a road, somewhere south of the campus on the way to Connecticut.”

Les Conklin ’60

The Clothes Horse

“Duke was a remarkable guy. I remember that he would, with help from others, have his closet arranged so that he would be able to pick out his own  clothes and they would match.

“Every so often someone would get into his closet, mix things  around, and Duke would show up for dinner with the ugliest combinations of clothing. He accepted ,all that as part of fitting in.

Bob Ayotte ’59

Notables                                                                                                                                       ,

“One did not play card with Duke and expect to win, (marked cards in Braille).  Taking away his cane while walking in a snowstorm  could result in his returning to the fraternity house, turning off the lights, and him swinging his cane. The house mother would always comment that Duke always did his assigned house chore the best and with diligence. He would take the train from Kingston to New York City without  hesitation.”

Claude H. Trottier, ’60

All right you (expletives deleted), “Now we’re even!”

“Duke had gone ‘down the line’ drinking with some of the other brothers. While they were gone several of us went into his room. We knew that he had memorized the location of all the furniture, so we moved everything to new locations. We heard a commotion. Duke was back!

“We quickly moved to a corner of the room to watch his reaction to our dastardly deed. Duke walked to the dresser’s former location and put his wallet down in the usual place. Thud; it hit the floor. Somebody laughed and without hesitation Duke began thrusting his cane, groin high, in every direction. He was able to sense that the lights were on, so he turned the light switch off and said, “All right you (expletives deleted), now we’re even!”  We surrendered and pleaded for forgiveness, which was granted. The two children that I sired after college thank Duke for his mercy that night.”

Les Conklin, ’60

This photograph shows the members of the house in 1960. Germano is seated in the first row, first person from the left. Note that his clothes are color-coordinated.

What happens when the blind lead the blind?

“When Dan was at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania getting his masters after graduating from URI in 1960, he went to New York City to see a blind girlfriend. The girl worked for Lightning, a charitable organization for the blind. She lived and worked in the city. She knew the city and its subways well, so they went out on a date alone.

“They had a few drinks and she got confused as to what subway station they were in. They were both using canes and they mistakenly walked down into the tracks. Dan grabbed her and pushed her up and out of the tracks. Other patrons then pulled him out. A train came about a minute later, so no danger. Dan told me that it was one thing to listen to a woman giving directions; it was another thing to listen to a blind woman giving directions. I think Dan decided right there that he would marry a sighted woman.” And that is exactly what he did.

Bob Pearson, ’59

Laughs Aside

“While at URI I came to realize how many more hours it took him to study than the rest of us. He compiled thousands of pages of Braille notes each semester. Feeling the Braille on the page was the only way to study, unless a reader was present. This was also true for all the days he worked with volunteer and paid readers after he finished college.”

Bob Pearson, ’59

Another Disability Benefit

“Duke was a member of the Biking Sigs and we rented a bicycle built for two. This was always an experience trying to balance getting off and on  the bike. The luncheons were always the highlight of our day. We would comment that the waitress was a “10.”  Usually she ended up in his  lap for the group picture.”

Claude H. Trottier ’60

An Unforgettable Human Being

“One day, I observed that the kitchen in his home had been remodeled. His wife, Roberta,  said that Duke had  designed the kitchen. I was curious how he did this. He indicated that he cooked and knew what he wanted. This led to my wife, Janice, who had written a few cookbooks, giving Duke  some of her recipes.”

“Once you met Duke you never forgot him. He left a large footprint in our lives.

“Duke was an excellent student and a powerful member of the URI debating team. In the fraternity, he fit in like a glove and wanted to be treated like everyone else.    ‘

“Duke never failed to amaze me in all the various activities he participated in.”

Claude H. Trottier, 60’

In Conclusion

Editorial note. Before he came to the University of Rhode Island, Duke was a full time resident of the Perkins School for the Blind. When I began working on this article in June 2016, I visited the school’s website. I read, “We educate the whole child. Academics are not enough tudeto prepare your child for an independent, engaged, happy future. Our experts also teach …a disability-specific set of skills that focuses on independence, vocational training, social engagement and more, to prepare your student for his or her fullest life possible.” Thank you Perkins for fulfilling your mission and delivering M. Daniel Germano to our brotherhood. He was a friend and a motivational force but more importantly, he made it easier for other students with disabilities to overcome educational and cultural barriers.”

Obituary

Germano and his Sigma Chi college friends celebrate Christmas luncheon in 2014 in Bristol, RI. That’s Germano seated in the front row with the waitress on his lap. He’d be the first to tell you that having a handicap does have some advantages.

“M. Daniel “Dan” Germano, 81, of New Bedford died Sunday March 27, 2016 at St. Luke’s Hospital. He was the loving husband of the late Roberta E. (Toomey) Germano. The son of the late Manuel L. and Mary (Teixeira) Germano, he was raised in Bristol, RI, and lived in New Bedford for many years. Dan first attended the Perkins School for the Blind. In 1960, he graduated from the University of Rhode Island. He then attended the Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he obtained a Master’s degree plus his preparation of his Doctoral degree in Political Theory and Public Administration.

“Throughout his working career, he enjoyed many professional positions, the last of which was 25 years of service as the Director of Federal and State Aided Programs with the New Bedford Public School Department. During this period, Dan also served on a number of committees concerned with quality of life improvements for community members. He was a member of the Portuguese Education Society, the Greater New Bedford Opportunity Center, the Friends of Buttonwood Park, and the Massachusetts Commission of the Blind.

“While at work and in his community endeavors, he was a tireless, dedicated, and serious person. There was a light hearted and fun part of Dan also, and many family members and friends fondly remember singing and dancing to his accordion playing. Dan also enjoyed playing cards, playing the piano, quahogging, canoeing, and riding his tandem bicycle.

“Dan is survived by his loving daughters, Maria J. Germano of Sequim, WA and Christine R. Germano of Jericho, VT, along with many cousins and close friends.

“He was predeceased by his beloved sister, Mary McNally, and by Craig and Turbo, his faithful companions/seeing eye dogs.

“His Funeral will be held on Friday April 1, 2016 at 9 AM from the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford, followed by his Funeral Mass at St. Lawrence Church at 10AM. Burial will be in Rural Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Thursday from 4-7 PM. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the organization that provided Dan with his seeing eye dogs: The Seeing Eye Inc., P.O. Box 375, Morristown, NJ 07963 www.seeingeye.org. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.”

Related Articles & Websites

First Day in School & Tales of Brother Germano

Harrington and Wilkinson Receive Peak Award

University of Rhode Island Website, www.uri.edu  Visit Website

Sigma Chi National Fraternity Website, www.sigmachi.org Visit Website

Delta Sigma Chapter, Sigma Chi, University of Rhode Island Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/sigma-chi-uri  Visit Facebook