The Big Life of Larger-than-life Dan Luna Pencils Robinson, Mile High Sports Magazine Share Colorado lost a tennis champion, educator, public servant and gentleman when Daniel “Big Dan” Luna died, on Oct. 21, at his home in Denver. What Dan accomplished in 88 years is the stuff of legend – from lunch with Eleanor Roosevelt to encounters with Bertrand Russell and his idols Ricardo “Gorgo” Gonzáles and Arthur Ashe, who after an exhibition match at the Broadmoor, favorably compared Dan’s serve to Gonzáles’ effortless lightning wooden-racket tornado. Dan destroyed the stereotype of dumb jocks. Pulverized it like the Renaissance man he was. Like a rocket serve at ad-in, set point.