A floragraph portrait of Danno Decoteau, a Nashua Army veteran who died suddenly in 2021 at age 39, is headed to Pasadena, California, where it will appear on the OneLegacy Donate Life float at the 2027 Tournament of Roses Parade. Decoteau's family finished the portrait on Oct. 23, ahead of the parade's New Year's Day roll down Colorado Boulevard.
Decoteau was an organ and tissue donor whose heart, liver, both kidneys and tissue were donated after his death, according to the Nashua Telegraph. He was remembered as an Army veteran who served in Iraq, a family man and an outdoorsman. New England Donor Services facilitated the portrait-decorating event.
The seed report describes Decoteau as the father of four children, though a separate WCVB report from earlier coverage described him as a father of two. The discrepancy is unresolved in available reporting. His parents, Michele and Kevin Decoteau, have remained closely involved in honoring their son's legacy, including helping create the floragraph that will travel to California.
A Heart That Kept Beating in Maine
Gary Swain, a heart transplant recipient from Marblehead, Massachusetts, received Decoteau's heart and says the donation saved his life. Swain helped create Decoteau's portrait alongside the family, according to WMUR, which reported that Dan Decoteau died in 2021 and that his family decided to donate his organs. Beyond Swain, Decoteau's donated organs and tissue helped many people receive what his family describes as a second chance at life.
The Concord Monitor's earlier reporting adds further detail, noting that Daniel Decoteau died on Aug. 6, 2021, at age 39 after a motor vehicle accident caused a traumatic brain injury. That account also confirms Swain as the recipient of Decoteau's heart, aligning with the broader record of his donation's reach into multiple families' lives.
The Float and the Parade Ahead
The OneLegacy Donate Life float is sponsored by OneLegacy and is one of the floats confirmed for the 2027 Rose Parade lineup, per the Tournament of Roses, which lists Artistic Entertainment Services as the float's builder. The 138th Rose Parade is scheduled for Jan. 1, 2027, at 8 a.m. Pacific time, according to donatelifefloat.org.
Decoteau's family plans to travel to California to watch the parade. The float honors organ, eye and tissue donors, living donors, recipients and their families.
Organizers say the float's reach is substantial: an estimated 700,000 parade spectators and more than 45 million U.S. television viewers saw last year's OneLegacy Donate Life float, according to donatelifefloat.org. For the Decoteau family, that audience means their son's face — and the Iraq War veteran, family man and outdoorsman they remember — will be seen far beyond Nashua when the float rolls down the parade route on New Year's Day.
