Official Obituary of
Daniel Pembroke Dighton
September 9, 1958 ~ August 23, 2012 (age 53) 53 Years Old
Daniel Dighton Obituary
Daniel Pembroke Dighton, age 53, of Monticello, died August 23, 2012. Dan was born September 9, 1958, the sixth child of Henry and Mary Dighton of Monticello.
He attended Monticello schools and later graduated from Judson Boarding School, Scottsdale, Arizona in 1976. In 1980, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan, and later that same year he entered the U.S. Marine Corps. As an infantry platoon commander and battalion operations staff officer, Dan participated in the invasion of Grenada in October 1983 and was deployed twice to Lebanon. Following his military service, Dan earned his master's degree at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago. His career included stints as a reporter for the Bloomington, IL, Pantagraph, the Greenville, SC, The Greenville News, and the Spartanburg, SC, The Herald-Journal. Dan also worked at United Press International in Washington, D.C. before settling in Chicago. He lived and worked in Chicago for many years, most recently as a communications specialist and writer for the University of Illinois at Chicago's Juvenile Justice Program. In the last five years, Dan pursued his life-long love of international culture, traveling widely and living for a time in France, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Dan will be remembered for his love of travel, art, literature, and music, and for the generous love he gave to his family and friends around the world.
Dan is survived by his sister, Catherine Bucknam, and brother-in-law, Robert, Arlington, VA; his brother, Christopher, and sister-in-law, Beth, of Monticello; his brother, Brian, Arlington, VA; and his cousin, Melissa Dighton, of Monticello. He leaves behind his niece, Desiree, and nephew, Jonathan, and his great-nephew, Ethan. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Henry and Mary Dighton, and his two brothers, Jeffrey and Dennis.
Family and friends are invited to join Dans family from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, August 28th at the Mackey-Wright Funeral Home in Monticello. A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, August 29th at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Philomena Catholic Church, 1301 N. Market St., Monticello, IL.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The UIC CeaseFire Fund, http://www.ceasefirechicago.org/get-involved.
He attended Monticello schools and later graduated from Judson Boarding School, Scottsdale, Arizona in 1976. In 1980, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan, and later that same year he entered the U.S. Marine Corps. As an infantry platoon commander and battalion operations staff officer, Dan participated in the invasion of Grenada in October 1983 and was deployed twice to Lebanon. Following his military service, Dan earned his master's degree at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago. His career included stints as a reporter for the Bloomington, IL, Pantagraph, the Greenville, SC, The Greenville News, and the Spartanburg, SC, The Herald-Journal. Dan also worked at United Press International in Washington, D.C. before settling in Chicago. He lived and worked in Chicago for many years, most recently as a communications specialist and writer for the University of Illinois at Chicago's Juvenile Justice Program. In the last five years, Dan pursued his life-long love of international culture, traveling widely and living for a time in France, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Dan will be remembered for his love of travel, art, literature, and music, and for the generous love he gave to his family and friends around the world.
Dan is survived by his sister, Catherine Bucknam, and brother-in-law, Robert, Arlington, VA; his brother, Christopher, and sister-in-law, Beth, of Monticello; his brother, Brian, Arlington, VA; and his cousin, Melissa Dighton, of Monticello. He leaves behind his niece, Desiree, and nephew, Jonathan, and his great-nephew, Ethan. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Henry and Mary Dighton, and his two brothers, Jeffrey and Dennis.
Family and friends are invited to join Dans family from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, August 28th at the Mackey-Wright Funeral Home in Monticello. A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, August 29th at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Philomena Catholic Church, 1301 N. Market St., Monticello, IL.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The UIC CeaseFire Fund, http://www.ceasefirechicago.org/get-involved.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Daniel Pembroke Dighton, please visit our floral store.
Services
You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Daniel Pembroke Dighton
© 2026 Owens Funeral Home. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility