Daniel Angelo Negrelli, 53, of Canton, beloved husband of Karen A. Brinkman and father of Keira B. Negrelli, died Saturday, February 22, 2025, following a skiing accident in Brighton, Utah. Born in Rockville, son of the late Joseph and Diana (Kosior) Negrelli, Jr., Dan was raised in Stafford Springs and graduated from Windham Tech. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Arts from Castleton University in Vermont.
Dan worked as a computer applications instructor at A.I. Prince Technical High School in Hartford, but his impact in education extended far beyond that area of expertise. An avid skier, hiker, and mountain biker, Dan had an unfettered enthusiasm for the great outdoors and was dedicated to sharing this passion with his students. He created unique experiences for them as the leader of the school’s hiking and skiing clubs, with the goal of opening their eyes to the expansive world around them.
After working to get permission from the school, he was elated to take students on an overnight adventure to the top of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington last summer. “I’ve always wanted to bring kids up there to experience the magic of being in the Alpine Zone,” he told Connecticut’s News 8, who covered their trek at the time. That adventure is a prime example of how Dan went above and beyond to immerse the young adults around him in outdoor activities. He used any means possible to get outdoor gear for kids, including using his own money or asking for donations.
Dan became a fixture on both mountains where he frequently skied, at his second home in Killington, Vermont, where he served as a ski instructor for nearly 30 years, and in Connecticut at Ski Sundown in New Hartford, where he was a member of the ski patrol for many years. In both places he fostered deep, lasting connections with locals, ski students, resort staff and far beyond.
Everywhere Dan went he brought joy with his easy smile, genial attitude, and genuine interest in every person he met. He shared his passions with the world and opened doors for those around him in any way he could. He had a gift for bringing out the best in everyone and selflessly volunteered his time and knowledge to anyone in need. Dan’s zest for life – whether on a hike, sailboat, camping trip, at a concert, or on a sandy beach – endeared him to everyone he met on his journey and will never be forgotten.
In addition to his wife and daughter, who Dan loved with his whole heart, he leaves behind a brother James Negrelli; a sister Catharine Rowe; an uncle and aunt Bernie and Jeannie Kosior; cousin Janette Kosior; several nieces and nephews; mother-in-law Barbara Brinkman; brothers-in-law Eric and his wife Tara Brinkman and Kevin and his wife Traci Brinkman.
For condolences, please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Prince Tech Adventure Club can be sent to this address: Charles Shooshan, Principal Adventure Club, in Memory of Dan Negrelli Prince Technical High School, 401 Flatbush Avenue Hartford, CT 06106 To plant a tree in memory of Daniel, please visit their floral store.
