In Memory
Daniel Lee Devetski
October 29, 1961 ~ February 18, 2024 (age 62)
Daniel Lee Devetski, 62, of Marietta, Georgia, passed away Sunday, February 18, 2024, surrounded by his loving family, following a courageous ten year battle with melanoma.
Born October 29, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois, at a hospital where his father worked as a physician and his mother worked as a nurse, Dan was the second of six children of the late Dr. Robert L. and Grace J.(Wood) Devetski. After living in California for two years during his father’s service in the Navy, the family moved to South Bend, Indiana, where Dan graduated from St. Anthony de Padua Catholic School and John Adams High School.
An intelligent student and talented athlete, Dan starred on his high school tennis team and was recognized as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. He also won the South Bend city table tennis tournament as a senior in high school.
Growing up in South Bend, Dan was a life-long fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, attending their games in person whenever he had the chance, including last fall when he watched the Irish beat Duke.
Dan went on to achieve his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Indiana University, and remained a fan of the Hoosiers basketball team. At I.U. Dan walked on to the varsity tennis team, practicing with the team only briefly, before limiting his athletic pursuits to intramural sports. With brother, Bob, he was runner-up campus champion in table tennis doubles.
It was also in South Bend that Dan met the love of his life, the lovely and talented Karen Hickmott. Dan married Karen on May 15, 1993 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. Dan and Karen relocated first to Huntsville, Alabama and then to the Atlanta area, where they raised their son, Ryan and their daughter, Madison, while Dan worked as a credit manager for several Atlanta based companies, most recently, Comcast. Dan and Karen always prioritized family, as weeknights were spent sharing stories of everyone's day over a home cooked meal. Together, the family also attended countless Braves games, traveled to find the best burger in Atlanta, and always prioritized their yearly family vacations.
When Dan’s children both decided to attend the University of Georgia, Dan became a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs football team, and enjoyed all their recent success. Dan was also the best man in his son Ryan’s wedding in October, 2022.
Dan’s first sports love was always tennis. He followed professional tennis closely, and entertained all by referring to some of the pros with playful and funny nicknames he gave them. Dan attended many pro tournaments, and was a regular at the Atlanta Open, bringing along all family members who would join him. Dan knew racquet technology and continually experimented with new racquets and strings. He led the rest of the Devetski family in his pied piper pursuit of tennis fun.
Dan was a fantastic tennis player too. His kick serve was a “devil,” as brother Tom would say. In younger days, he won tournaments in Saginaw, Michigan (Saginaw Township Open) and South Bend, Indiana (South Bend Metro). More recently, Dan played in several ALTA leagues and also played USTA tennis at the 5.0 level, advancing with his team to the national championships on one occasion. Those close to him knew that if he wasn’t home with his family, more than likely he could be found at his neighborhood courts. Even as his health prevented him from playing, Dan continued to attend matches of his friends and family in support. Dan was not just a great doubles player, he was also a favorite playing partner. He amused, encouraged, and supported his teammates such that everyone wanted to be Dan’s partner on court. Everybody knew that playing with or against Dan was always a treat.
Known for his quick and engaging wit, Dan could defuse any difficult or tense situation with humor and thoughtfulness. With humor, he was frequently able to persuade and charm even the most stubborn, while never offending anyone. Handsome, eternally optimistic and funny, Dan’s good humor just made everything better.
Dan treated everyone with kindness and generosity. Family had an open invitation to his home, which was always a target destination for his five siblings, who loved to visit with him in Georgia to play tennis and enjoy Dan and Karen’s culinary expertise. Their kitchen was always filled with healthy and delicious creations. Thanksgiving feasts were well attended at Dan’s house, with many family members making the pilgrimage to eat turkey, play in the big football game and watch a little television.
Dan loved music, particularly live music, and he attended many concerts. Fittingly, he particularly liked the music of Steely Dan. Also a whiz at word games, Dan was a superstar at Wordle, which he played daily. One of Dan’s biggest fans was his dog, Lucky, who followed him around and appreciated the loving attention Dan gave him.
Above all, Dan’s faith in God sustained him and was a blessing to all fortunate enough to know him. Dan’s in heaven now watching over his entire family and waiting for us to come hit some with him.
Surviving is his wife of 31 years, Karen, and their children, Ryan (Dr. Madison Alvey) Devetski of Marietta, Georgia and Madison Devetski of Atlanta, his two sisters, Susan Devetski (Douglas Osthimer) of South Bend, Indiana and Julia Devetski of Chicago and three brothers, Robert G. (Judy) Devetski of Granger, Indiana, Thomas (Margaret) Devetski of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Timothy (Cecelia) Devetski of Houston, Texas.
A Rite of Christian Burial Mass will be held at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, Ga at 10:30 am Thursday, March 14th, 2024. Reception will immediately follow the funeral mass in McNamee Hall. There will be a private family burial service.
02/22/2024 EJS
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