Daniel Wilkins Madison died from an undiagnosed infection on Sunday, August 4th, 2024. Dan was born April 15, 1954, 5 minutes before his identical twin brother, Donald Gordon Madison. Dan worked at the Attorney General’s office until he retired earlier than he wanted due to a complicated back surgery.
He attended Floyd Junior High, Lanier High School, AUM College, and Jones Law School. He and his brother were the first to score a home run on the college’s baseball team. Legend says that Don was on first and asked the coach to let Dan bat next. After two strikes, Dan hit the ball out of the park and both he and Don ran home for another first at AUM.
Dan’s best attributes were his friendly nature (ask anybody who works at the Carter Hill Winn Dixie) his dashing looks in his youth, and his ability to write legal briefs. Dan had a brilliant mind but wasn’t much of a test taker. While his twin brother passed the bar exam on the first try, it took Dan many tries. But, he never gave up. His perseverance paid off after several years when he passed the bar and worked as an attorney in the Consumer Protection Division for the State of Alabama’s Attorney General’s office.
He loved living in “the country” and he loved animals. His favorite two dogs were Molly, his beagle, and Roger, the basset hound that roamed the neighborhood. Dan enjoyed feeding raccoons, possums, and strays.
In his early 20s, while swinging on a rope into the river, the rope broke and Dan fell hitting a tree root. The fall nearly killed him, and later caused him immense pain, but it never stopped his ability to quote law or tell quirky stories.
He was preceded in death by his father, Edward Campbell Madison, his mother Elizabeth Wilkins Madison, his brother, Donald Gordon Madison, He is survived by his sister, Elizabeth Madison Sills (Carl), his niece Eleanor Hadden Sills (Jeff Grozholz), nephew William Madison (Janelle), and son, Matt. The family will celebrate his life at a later date, for now, feel free to donate to a local animal shelter or animal rescue group in his memory.
Posted online on August 07, 2024
Published in Montgomery Advertiser