Obituary of Albert J. Dahms, Jr.

Albert J. Dahms Jr, 89, of Glastonbury and Mystic, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, August 11, 2020. He was a beloved dad to Kim, Judy and Rob, the best papa in the world to Chris, Jaime, Jenna, Jillian and Olivia, and the loving husband of Mildred (Grandma-in-the-Pink-Cloud). He touched the lives of countless close friends, here and in heaven, who loved him dearly and shared so many awesome, fun times and adventures on land and sea with him. Born in Hartford on January 6, 1931 into hardscrabble beginnings, Albert lived every day with extraordinary purpose, optimism, ingenuity, grit, resilience and humor. He had a big heart, beautiful green eyes and a captivating smile. After the 1938 flood, he paddled back and forth across East Hartford on a door with a 2x4 checking on people and bringing elderly neighbors food and milk. When he was 17, he joined the Air Force and served our country in the Korean War, working at bases all over the world on the engines and airframes of the first fighter jets ever deployed by the US military. Honorably discharged and back in the US, Albert got into auto racing, starting off by souping up street rods and quickly progressing to top-fuel dragsters. He and his brother Bill designed and patented a new, compact centrifugal type supercharger, built with ultra-precision accuracy, and got their Eliminator dragster in the 1963 Drag Racing Grand Finale World Points Championship. To support their racing, they did high-precision machining for high-performance jets, helicopters and racecars, which started the machine shop in Glastonbury that he would grow and run over the next four decades, into his mid-70s. As a lifelong Shriner, Albert supported the children at the Shriner’s Hospital for Children running special events for them to enjoy and fundraising. He loved boats and the ocean and he and family and friends will never forget all the wonderful weekends cruising Long Island Sound with him, fishing for blue marlins (and finally catching one), his Gertrude wig, and everyone knowing ‘Big Daddy’ wherever he was. Because Big Daddy was more than a 6’4” guy; he was a cool and special force of nature. Even on his last day, the head ICU doctor stopped his daughter in the hallway to ask her if he was a WWII or Korean War veteran and to tell her how strong he was and that they just don’t make men like that anymore. They sure don’t. A memorial service celebrating his life so well lived and his indomitably adventurous and loving spirit will be held on August 19th. Calling hours will be held at Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave, Glastonbury, from 10:00-11:00am followed by an 11:15am graveside memorial service with full military honors and eulogies by family and friends at Green Cemetery, 99 Hubbard St, Glastonbury. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate) or Shriners Hospitals for Children (https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc) in Albert’s honor and memory.