Young pilot who died last year remembered, family continues good deeds in his name

BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A year after the death of one young pilot, his family continues to honor him by trying to make the world a better place in his name.

"Here we are a year later, the memories did not fade away, and the endless love for Daniel did not diminish even a bit," Benny Perelman said.

Benny Perelman and his wife Ana lost their son Daniel Perelman last May when Daniel's small plane went down in a Wauwatosa backyard.

"His life and his story is still touching a lot of people," Benny Perelman said about his son.

Sunday, dozens gathered to honor Daniel and see the memorial at his grave for the first time. The tombstone features a portrait of Daniel that was drawn just after his death by a close friend, a plane and his beloved dog.

"We obviously wanted to commemorate the plane because it was a big part of his life, his biggest passion," Ana Perelman said. 

The star student, who loved chess, flying planes and his dog, went to Northwestern University. His college roommate Ariel Gurevich was among the people who placed a stone on his grave to show respect.

"He made a ton of friends; our room was just the place to congregate for people in the dorm," Gurevich said.

After the memorial unveiling, friends and family went to the Chabad Jewish Center of Waukesha County to celebrate Daniel's life. The family said all the help from the community has been uplifting.

"I did not imagine I would make it through this year, and I don't think I would've done it without all of your support," Daniel's sister Lola Perelman said.

Daniel was an organ donor, giving the gift of life after his passing. To keep the good going, his family started Daniel Gives Back, an organization that does good deeds, gives out scholarships and holds blood drives to honor Daniel.

"I think that it's incredible how much the family has done to preserve his memory and how strong they've been," Gurevich said. "And [how open they've been] to making something positive out of what happened, which is obviously incredibly difficult."

The family is planning another blood drive this Summer. It will be from 3:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11 at the Chabad Jewish Center of Waukesha County at 1275 N. Barker Rd., Brookfield, WI. To register, visit their website.

The family is still waiting for the official report about Daniel's accident from the National Transportation Safety Board.