Daniel, or better known as Dan, Dano or Dan the Man, gripped the world in his palms. The experiences he gathered in his short existence were commendable and inspiring. Growing up in Western Wyoming’s outdoor paradise, he developed an enduring love for the mountains and the natural world.

Daniel, 33, passed away on January 31st, 2024, paragliding in the vast mountains of La Grave, in the French Alps.

He was born in Jackson, Wyoming on November 4th, 1990, to Mary Carolyn Chichinsky and Steven Jacob Chichinsky, who raised him with a tenacity for life. Growing up as the second of four siblings stoked his competitive soul.

In 2007, Dan’s family lost their mother, Carolyn, in a car accident, a pivotal moment in all of their lives. It forced him to turn inwards and seek out a life of solitude, beauty, creation and inquiry. Although this experience altered his views on life, it never stopped Dan from being an excitable and quirky man.

Growing up with Dan was like something out of a superhero movie. He was always there when you needed him. During family escapades, you could find him admiring and clambering to higher places to enjoy the vistas that engulfed his mind and body. He was able to adapt to any landscape and lifestyle. 

His childhood friends describe him as, “a really good dude with a kind soul.” They too spent their early years discovering the mountains with him, curating an earthly bond towards life. In later years, they knew that no matter where he was he would always offer his blunt advice.

In 2008, Daniel graduated high school with honors as “mister irresistible”. Thereafter, he took the time to curate his authentic self. He traveled through New Zealand and Asia with his childhood friends, journeyed to Alaska, Canada and the Western coast of the United States. He also voyaged through Nicaragua where he was robbed on the beach. There were most likely many other places that witnessed his beaming smile that we will never know.

From 2011 to 2015 he served in the United States Air Force as a C19 aircraft mechanic- Crew Chief Officer in Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska with two deployments. He upheld this position with honor and integrity.

After his military service, he immersed himself in student life, first at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Washington. During that time he also received CPR and Backcountry EMT certifications. Later, Dan received his B.S. in Land Resources and Environmental Sciences from Montana State University (MSU) in 2020 and was recognized as Land Resources and Environmental Sciences Outstanding Senior. He was also awarded the 2019/2020 College of Agriculture Outstanding Undergraduate Leadership Award. In 2023, he completed his M.S. studying Canada thistle biological control.

To read an article he authored summarizing the findings of his research visit> https://www.frontiersin.org/a…

Daniel pursued many careers in his life; he began working with the Weed Ecology and Management team of the Land Resources and Environmental Sciences Department at MSU in 2018. Most recently, in March of 2023, he worked as a Weed ecology and Management Team Research Associate . He also maintained private clients as a ski instructor at the Yellowstone Club.

In 2017 he learned to paraglide, a sport that would enthrall him and introduce him to a community that inspired and embraced him. During his last years in Montana, he continued to cultivate his mountain life in the air and on the ground.

He befriended a group of like minded paragliders and outdoor enthusiasts with whom he flew through the Andes and the Alps. He fell in love with a woman, Mari, who shared his passion for flying and the outdoors, who was his match, both in grand adventures and within the quiet contemplations of life, and with whom he spent countless hours exploring life's biggest questions, sharing dreams and building a life together.

Dan loved flying, and his soul shone brightest when in the mountains. In his own words, “they cleared his mind and quenched his soul". Dan leaves a titanic void, but also so much inspiration. His is a monumental loss for this world and for those who loved him. He will always be remembered for his curiosity, sporadic bursts of energy, and courageous soul.

He was cremated in France, and retrieved by his loved ones; who took his remains for a final visit to La Grave, and returned him to his home mountains.

He is survived by his father, his two brothers and sister who will always look back on him as, “a bad mother F*cker.”

He is also survived by his partner Mari and adoptive dog/son Waylon, or WayDog. They will forever love him for his “inspiring passion for life, being a guide to live by and the best thing that happened to them.” He was and will always be their best friend.

His passion and energy will continue on through his extended relatives, and his chosen family of close friends.

We invite all those who knew and cared for him to attend his celebration of life and join us in commemorating this remarkable human being.

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