Robert Daniel “Dan” Bodvarsson of Alameda, California, died Monday, April 8, 2019, at the age of 41. Dan leaves behind his beloved wife, Morgan Jenkins Bodvarsson; sons Robert Gudmundur “Rob” Bodvarsson, 4, and Stefan Joseph “Stef” Bodvarsson, 13 months; mother and stepfather Mary and Travis Pratt; siblings Hannah and Caleb Pratt and Erik Ma; as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins in the U.S., Iceland and Sweden. His father, Gudmundur Svavar “Bo” Bodvarsson, preceded him in death.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dan graduated from El Cerrito High School, where he excelled as an athlete. He especially loved soccer, baseball, tennis and golf. Several injuries kept him from competing at a higher level, but he never lost his love of sports, and was an avid supporter of the Golden State Warriors in particular.

Dan had far more friends than the average person, and they rushed to his side when his father died in 2006. Dan married the love of his life, Morgan, in 2013 in Lewes, Delaware, and they soon started a family in Alameda. Dan loved his sons more than life, and he made sure they had as many experiences as he could give them. When Rob was a baby, Dan worked evenings so he could care for Rob while Morgan worked days. When he returned to work, his mother, mother-in-law and sister stepped in, allowing for the family interactions that Dan loved.

Dan adored his three younger siblings, and greatly enjoyed playing the role of big brother. He spent several years in the early 2000s in his mother’s native North Carolina to be near his family, and was happy when they returned to the East Bay after the birth of son Rob.

Dan was very proud of his Icelandic heritage, and had both U.S. and Icelandic citizenship. He loved visiting his dad’s family and friends in Iceland, and hosting them when they visited California. He treasured his Icelandic family, and maintained especially close ties with his cousins.

Those who knew Dan quickly understood that his main goal was to make his family and friends happy, and he worked hard to do so.

A connoisseur of food, wine and beer, Dan did much of the cooking for the family, and shared his love of food preparation with son Rob. A favorite activity was to make pasta from scratch, letting Rob turn the handle of the pasta machine. Dan was a Level-1 sommelier and he and Morgan were early members of Alameda’s Rock Wall wine club. Dan also loved to explore the cuisine of such countries as Cuba, Italy and Sardinia, bringing back new recipes, spices and condiments, which he incorporated into his own cooking.

Dan had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and maintained an extensive library of books and podcasts. He loved entering into discussions about the day’s events, or sports news, and enjoyed playing devil’s advocate.

Before becoming a realtor with Barbagelata Real Estate Group, Dan was a longtime bartender in the East Bay. It was during his years at Raleigh’s Bar and Grill and Henry’s, both in Berkeley, and Penelope Bar & Lounge in Oakland, that he established lifelong friendships with so many.

There will be a celebration of life for Dan on Saturday, April 20, at 10 a.m., at Epworth UMC, 1953 Hopkins St, Berkeley, CA 94707. A GoFundMe account has been set up in Dan’s name for his family at https://www.gofundme.com/dan-bodvarsson-memorial-fund.