Daniel G Hingston

Daniel G. Hingston, antiques dealer, auctioneer, and appraiser, passed away on May 2, 2026 in Naples, Florida at the age of 85.

Dan was born on May 13, 1940, in Peabody, Massachusetts. He was the son of Richard T. Hingston and Edna E. Castle. He is survived by his wife Barbara Joyce Edge Hingston, his son Michael Hingston, and his daughter and son-in-law Tara and KC Cederholm.

Dan found a part time job in an antiques shop when he was 13 years old. He was fond of saying it was the luckiest day in his life, because it was his introduction to the antiques business. The shop was owned by an important New England antiques dealer named Max Weber. He worked for Weber until he was 19, and remained friends with him and has sons for the rest of their lives.

Dan and Joyce met as teenagers at a1950’s drive-in diner near Newfound Lake in central New Hampshire. They were married when they were just 20 years old. Dan worked at various jobs as he tried to get into the antiques business. For a time, he even drove a meat truck. After he made his deliveries, he filled the empty truck with antique furniture he purchased along the route home.

Dan got his big break when he got a job with Richard Withington, a well-known estate auctioneer in the old town center of Hillsborough, New Hampshire. Eventually, Dan became the manager, treasurer, and appraiser for Withington Auction, Inc.

This was at a time when American furniture was beginning to peak in popularity and value. But it was also long before on-line bidding, and the many great pieces Dan was finding in old houses at that time were still being auctioned under a tent in Dick’s back yard. Major dealers and collectors from all over New England and beyond would drive to Hillsborough and stand under that tent to bid on those pieces. It was a cultural phenomenon that landed both Dick and Dan in an article in Time Magazine about one of the last of the country auctioneers.

He enjoyed working in Hillsborough’s historic town center, close to home and his young family. When Tara and Michael were growing up, they wandered in and out of Withington’s house where Dan worked like it was their own, and played in the barns where the furniture was stored. He was extremely proud that they both ended up in the antiques field.

Dan worked with Dick for over 30 years, until he retired from the auction business in 2000. He then opened Daniel G. Hingston Antiques, doing estate appraisals for many New Hampshire and Massachusetts law firms. He continued working until 2023. His business is now carried on by his son, Michael.

Dan and Joyce became avid tennis players, traveled often, and spent winters in Naples, Florida. But his favorite place was still Hillsborough, where he and Joyce lived for over 60 years.

Dan will be remembered for his quick wit, and his great stories. But most of all, he’ll be remembered for his kindness. He was never too busy to stop and chat, to ask about people their family, or offer a helping hand. He was a good friend to many in the antiques business, and a good friend to many in Hillsborough.

He was also a loving husband, father, and father-law. He’ll be greatly miss by all of us, and by the many people who’s lives he touched. May he rest in peace in the cemetery up the road road from the home and the old town center he loved.

A memorial service will be held Saturday July 11, 2026, at 2 pm at the Congregational Church, 614 Center Road, Hillsborough Center, NH. A reception will follow at the Hillsborough Center Club.