Daniel Ulf Nilsson

March 18, 1979 - February 4, 2016

Daniel Ulf Nilsson, extraordinary chef/father/husband/brother/son/friend/athlete/artist, left this world on February 4, 2016, at the age of 36. In his too short life, Daniel pushed the boundaries in all his endeavors, inspiring us all with his generosity, intensity, and love of life. The son of Ulf Nilsson and Barbro de Neree, Daniel lived for a year in his parents' native Sweden after graduating from high school in Westport, Connecticut. There he worked at a sushi restaurant and nursery school, and reconnected with his childhood friend Ola Svedman. Taking his lifelong love of food into serious consideration, Daniel then studied at the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, FL. After graduation he tried his hand at property management in Manhattan and lived with his sister Anna, her husband Giora, and their son Matti, his roommate for two years. In 2005, Daniel moved to Hudson, and at age 26 bought a building on lower Warren Street, investing in a city where he came to cut a broad swath with friends too numerous to count. With Barbro as his business partner, and Chef Ola at his side, Daniel created DABA, serving New-American food with a Scandinavian influence. The idea was to put forth beautiful and amazing food while giving everybody a good time. A few days before he passed on, Daniel remarked that he just wanted to give a dinner party - every night. Daniel’s hospitality was both generous and disciplined. He fed people off the back porch and announced free food on Facebook often, all while attending to every detail: the napkins folded, the stage set, and the servers trained to inquire about the food in just the right way. And he left beauty everywhere he went, such as the painted sidewalk in front of DABA or the work he displayed by artist friends. In 2010, Daniel married Ariana-Theodora Elizabeth Carlson, from Great Barrington, MA, and together Daniel and Ari created three beautiful children: Lars Magnus, Evangeline Bee, and Felix Ulf. Daniel and the family were a welcome presence, often found walking on Warren Street. Daniel excelled at friendship as at fatherhood, never letting go of his friends from Westport or Scarsdale, NY, where he lived until he was a high school junior. He fostered camaraderie instead of competition in his widespread community of culinary peers. He excelled as well as an athlete, his daring and exuberant nature evident in the risks he took sky-diving, snow-boarding and motorcycling. In the past few years his extreme sport was CrossFit, where he inspired the daily 10 AM class at his gym with his incredible drive and feats of strength. Daniel loved to say that there are 168 hours in the week and we all have choices in how we use them. He chose to use those hours to make the world a better and more beautiful place, and to support and encourage his fellow chefs, his friends, his family, and anyone fortunate enough to come his way. Daniel is mourned by his loving wife Ariana, their children Lars, Bee, and Felix, his mother and stepfather Barbro and Emile de Neree of Stamford, CT, his father and stepmother Ulf and Gun Nilsson of Stockholm, Sweden, his sister and nephew Anna and Matti Rachminov of Claverack, NY, his brother Mikael Nilsson of South Norwalk, CT, mother-in-law Angela Carlson of Great Barrington, as well as step-brothers Philippe and Marc de Neree, in-laws Rose and Matt Blodgett, Galen Carlson, and Damon Carlson, as well as a large extended family in Sweden. Patricia McKenna Columbia Greene Media 1 Hudson City Centre Suite 202