Daniel John Spoonhower started making a big impression on people in 1977. In the photo above, Spoonhower brothers John (left) and Tom (right) hold their new sons at Christmas. Jeff Spoonhower (left) is already four months old, while cousin Dan (right) is only three weeks old!
Dan grew up just outside of Rochester, NY with a younger brother and sister, Ben and Rachel. At Webster High School, he was just like any other hockey-captain trombone-playing computer-programming giant-pear-sculpting high school student. After adventures as an undergrad in Ithaca at Cornell, and as a young software architect in San Francisco, he has been settled into graduate student life in Pittsburgh since 2002.
At Carnegie Mellon University, he’s pursuing a Ph.D. in the Computer Science Department’s programming languages group. Last year, this group made the news with some less-than-scientific results: “Fiction-filled computer code mystery peppered with ‘ancient’ puzzles.”
Trips for work to places like Rio de Janeiro, Nice, and Venice, and internships in Seattle and outside of NYC have provided opportunities for travel. (These are beyond the “opportunities for travel” to Ann Arbor, Chicago and next, Switzerland that our relationship provides. 
) Though he hasn’t had much summer camp experience, he’ll take any excuse to get outside: biking, hiking, snowboarding, and rock climbing are good examples.
A few words on names: Just as my middle name (“Ann”) is the first name of both of my grandmothers, “John” is the first name of both of Spoons’ grandfathers, and two of his uncles. While he is called “Dan” (or even “Danny”!) in a house of Spoonhowers, he is “Spoons” amongst friends. There will be around six Dans at Camp Spoonhowopic, but even more Spoon/Spoons/Spoonhowers, so you can just call him Mr. Director.
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Here’s a early look at the Camp Spoonhowopic distribution of first names. Just in case you were wondering…
I’m curious as to why Liz and Biz are grouped together … they seem like different names.
You need one more Tom camper so Tom can be Tom 7 in many ways!
I’ll see what we can do about recruiting a 7th Tom. There are at least four new babies on the way, so there could always be a new Tom!
Liz and Biz are combined because they are both short for (E)lizabeth.
I would like to point out that it seems that there will be TWO Eileens at this shindig, and that is no small matter. 6 Dans, eh, whatever. But two Eileens?? Crazy.
I love that Spoons made a name chart, because I was wondering.
Who is the other Liz? I know Biz….
The other Liz is Dr. Liz Nolan, one of the Cornell Westbourne crew. Hopefully she, Mike, and their baby Ella will make it!
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