Morris "Dan" Bellware, 87, died peacefully in his sleep on 
May 1, 2014. Dan was born Sept. 6, 1926, in Dayton, Ohio, 
the son of John Shirley and Bessie (Frazier) Bellware. He is 
survived by his sweetheart and love of his life, Iona Konwaler. 
Also surviving are his four children, David of Whitakers, N.C.; 
Greg, who is married to Carrie (Kaiser) of Atlanta, Ga.; Jean, 
who is married to David Lewis of Bedford, Pa., and Andrew of J
ersey City, N.J. His two grandchildren, who gave him great pride 
and joy, are Daniel of Atlanta, Ga., and Julie of New York City, 
who is engaged to Zel Crampton of Montreal, Canada. Dan is 
also survived by his brother, James "David" and wife Carolyn of 
Dayton, Ohio, as well as many relatives from the U.S. and 
Canada. He was predeceased by nine siblings.  In 1947, he 
married Dorothy "Dee" Henderson. Together, they raised four 
loving children in Metuchen, N.J. Dee passed away in May of 
1990.  Dan graduated from Ohio State with a degree in engineering. 
He then worked on construction projects at the Atomic Energy 
Commission in Oak Ridge, Tenn. He spent 17 years in technical 
service and market development at the International Nickel 
Company in New York City.  Dan earned his master's degree in 
metallurgical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn 
(now part of New York University).  In 1968, Dan began working 
nights and weekends to start his own company which became 
SRS, Inc. Through SRS, he found and developed a niche market 
in architectural metals fabrication and construction. He developed 
a reputation for very high quality custom railings for prestigious 
projects like Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden.  Dan 
was especially proud that SRS was chosen to make major 
renovations on the Statue of Liberty several times. He was also 
proud of the many employees who became citizens while working 
for SRS.  Dan's passion for flying began when he was a child 
growing up on a farm in Ohio. He would ride his bike to a grass strip 
where there were several planes and hang out until someone offered 
to take him for a ride. A highlight of Dan's life he always 
remembered was when "this bashful farm boy met Orville Wright."
At the age of 17, he talked his mother into letting him join the Army 
Air Corps as an aviation cadet by convincing her it was the safest 
place to be. He told her, "I'll be up there above all the fighting." He 
passed all the tests and was inducted at the age of 18. The war 
ended before he got to flight school.  After raising his family and 
building up his own business, Dan fulfilled his lifelong dream and 
got his pilot's license in 1979, followed by an instrument rating. He 
bought and flew a C-182Q for 20 years. For his 80th birthday, Dan 
bought a little Flight Design CT and started flying Light Sport. At that 
time, Dan joined the UFO (United Flying Octogenarians) organization. 
He was a dedicated volunteer and served on the UFO Board of 
Directors.  Dan touched many lives and will be sorely missed by his 
friends, colleagues and family. Iona and his children are very thankful 
that some of his last words were, "I know you love me. I know all four 
of you and Iona love me, and that is all I need. I am the luckiest guy 
in the world."  A Remembrance for Dan was held in the Wilson Room 
at Windrows Hall, 2000 Windrow Drive, Princeton, N.J. 08540 on 
Sunday, May 4, at 11 a.m.  The family requested no flowers. 
Contributions can be made in Dan's name to the charity of your choice.
Published in Star-Ledger on May 11, 2014 

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