5219943868.jpg &&& THE OLD GUYS were like school kids, taking field trips to each other's places of business. Members of an informal club that they called Retired Old Men Eat Out (ROMEO), they would rent a bus if needed to make their visits. And, of course, they also ate out. An enthusiastic member of the group was John E. Daughen, a guy who, his family said, just loved being around people. John was a quiet sort who rarely talked about himself and never boasted about his position as second in command of the city's prison system for 12 years before his retirement in 1999. A man who kept himself in good shape all his life, his death Wednesday of brain cancer was a shock to his family. He was 71 and lived in Glen Mills. His death came the day before the 49th anniversary of his marriage to the former Rita Boschetti, a relationship his family said was a "lifelong love affair." "They were still dating," said his son, John J. Daughen. "He would leave her little love notes." Although John never talked much about his 38-year career with the city's correction system, he was highly regarded by officials. When he retired, prison trustees passed a resolution praising him as "a man of integrity and distinction" who had "earned the respect and admiration and affection of all of his colleagues." "He was a man of immense curiosity who acquired an amazing store of knowledge about current events and just about anything you could think of," said his older brother, Joseph R. Daughen, a retired Daily News reporter. "Any time I had a question I ran it by him and he always helped me. He was my best friend. "He read everything. If I wanted to know how to fix something, I would call John. I relied on him more than he ever relied on me." John was born in Philadelphia to John J. Daughen and the former Laura Sandone. He graduated from Bok Vocational High School and later took courses at Philadelphia Community College. John was sworn in as a corrections officer on May 8, 1961, and assigned to the old Moyamensing Prison. He went on to become the youngest person to be promoted to sergeant, in 1964, lieutenant in 1968 and captain in 1969. He served as deputy warden and warden of the old Detention Center before being named deputy corrections commissioner on June 1, 1987. John's son said his father was a dedicated family man who rarely missed a play, recital, concert or sporting event involving his children and grandchildren. "He was a great listener," his son said. "He always had a kind word to say. He was always willing to lend anyone a helping hand." When Medicare came out with its confusing changes in drug coverage in 2006, boggling the minds of many seniors trying to cope with the new plans, John Daughen quickly grasped the changes. At one of many seminars conducted by Medicare to explain the changes, John completed the presentation by one official, making the changes clearer to the audience. "I didn't want them to walk out of there with bad information," he said. When John retired, his son put together a display box containing items from his father's long career in the prison system. A neighbor came by, saw the box and was surprised to find out that John had anything to do with prisons. He just never talked about it. "What a humble man he was!" his son said. "People who met him for the first time immediately liked him. I never heard him say a bad word about anybody." In addition to his wife, son and brother, John is survived by another son, Michael; a daughter, Kathleen Murphy, and five grandchildren. Services: Funeral Mass 10:30 a.m. today at St. Cornelius Church, 160 Ridge Rd., Chadds Ford. Friends may call at 8:15 a.m. Burial will be in Ss. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Marple.