He was born on January 3, 1964 in San Francisco to Herbert M. and Patricia M. Shenon Briggs. He grew up in Mill Valley, Calif., and attended Mount Tamalpais High School, where he excelled in science and mathematics. In his senior year, he was a finalist in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Dan attended Caltech, where he earned two bachelor's degrees, one in physics and one in applied mathematics. He then attended New Mexico Tech in Socorro, where he earned a master's degree in 1990 and a Ph.D. in 1995, both in physics with an astrophysics concentration. His dissertation, on the computer analysis of data from interferometers, very quickly established a new standard for work in that field.
After graduation, Dan held a two-year post-doctoral position at the U. S. Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C. He then began a second post-doc about one year ago at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. He was a highly respected astronomer and research programmer.
Dan was a man of many varied and passionate interests. Among them were juggling, origami, martial arts, collecting and rebuilding pinball machines, motorcycling, Contra Dance, American Square Dance, English Country Dance, playing the hammer dulcimer, playing the flute, Morris Dance, cats, enjoying science fiction and anime films, and participating in Renaissance Faire and SCA events. He loved children, especially his own niece and nephew, and delighted them with his juggling, stilt-walking, and sleight-of-hand.
Dan took up skydiving around 1992 in New Mexico and pursued it avidly for the rest of his life. He was a highly skilled jumper, with a D class "master" license and over 500 jumps to his credit. Many of his jumps were "canopy relative work" in which he made formations with other divers. He was a member of a group called Diamond Quest, which performed such jumps.
Dan was a strong willed man with fierce loyalties to his family and friends and dedication to his scientific work. He is survived by his sister and her husband, Jeanne and Robert Woodliff; nephew and niece Robbie and Alyssa Woodliff; all of Fillmore, UT. He is also survived by sisters Glennis Briggs and Laughlin Briggs Divine, husband Craig, and niece Diana, all of California; and many dear friends.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Audubon Society or the Sierra Club. Dan is interred at a cemetery in Salt Lake City.
Condolences may be sent to Dan's sister:
Jeanne Briggs Woodliff
691 North 4600 West
Fillmore, UT 84631
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