Dan was so warm, so loving, and his deep, warm, rolling chuckle couldn’t help but make others start laughing heartily too.

Just about anyone who has met Dan, even briefly, has more than likely encountered Dan’s ‘Hostile Resting Face’. Dan’s handsome face was light and bright when he was smiling or laughing, but when he wasn’t, many people had a hard time knowing what he was thinking and wondered if they should maybe just turn and walk away.

The bane of Dan’s existence was people saying, ‘Hey Dan… you OK?’ …. ‘Ya, I’m good why?’…. ‘Cause you look like you’re pissed’! Often Dan would try to get ahead of people, especially if their contact would be frequent, to explain his ‘Hostile Resting Face’ trying to mitigate any misunderstanding or future issues!

 Dan did, however, know sometimes his ‘Hostile Resting Face’ was an asset. At appropriate times he could employ he secret weapon to diffuse an escalating problem with some drunk jerk at the bar, or use it to help defend our property lines against unwelcome and uninvited people. Dan knew how to use what God gave him and he did so judiciously! 

Dan’s love and appetite for music was insatiable. He appreciated many different genre’s and forms of music, but as a Drummer, of course, he particularly loved bands that had an exceptional Drummer or featured percussionist. As a youngster, Dan’s brother Dave, would sit Dan down in front of the stereo, put the headphones on him and play different songs saying, ‘listen to this one, now listen to this…’.

Dave was the catalyst, but Dan’s passionate personality and natural, spiritual attraction to the earthy and mathematical rhythms of all music propelled him into a lifelong pursuit of exposing himself to great artist, after great artist.

Dan has played in various bands over the years, but his keen ears gave him opportunities to run sound for many bands. Running sound allowed Dan’s love of music and his analytical mind to come together and produce the best concert experience for audiences and the band members themselves. Dan took such pride in every performance and was obsessive in making sure everything was just right.

Throughout Dan’s young 56 years he unfortunately experienced a great deal of loss. Family members such as his Maternal Grandmother, his Father Carter, his Brother Dave, his Aunt (Mother’s Sister) Jackie, and his Mom Shirlee, but the losses extended to very important others outside of family. These friends (not an all encompassing mentioning) and ‘animal spirits’ were very dear to Dan and had a deep impact on him… they were important threads in the fabric of his life, he felt their losses keenly, and they deserve to be mentioned in association with Dan’s life.

Mitch Culver – A teenage years friend, Mitch’s influence on Dan’s life, aside from their antics making for some really good stories, was a Martial Arts influence. Dan became very passionate about a variety of Martial Arts and excelled in this space.

Steve Leggitt – A business contact turned great friend, Dan and Steve went through a lot of good times, and very difficult times which knitted them closely together. It was Steve's Harley that Dan save from the fires!

Dale Mason – A great neighbor, dear friend, and Helper In Chief. He told stories just as vibrantly as Dan did, so you can imagine those two around the fire ring on summer evenings.

Kristi Parsons-Smith – One of Dan’s longest, and dearest friends; they were a source of strength and laughter to each other. Her passing was exceptionally difficult on Dan.

Blackjack – Human posing as a Dog, Blackjack was Dan’s side kick as a young man. This amazing dog was the source of so many of Dan’s wonderful, storied memories, and was truly a 'best-soul' in Dan’s life.

Levi – Another amazing Dog companion in Dan’s adult life. Levi embodied the ‘youngness’ in Dan’s heart and was a source of laughter and frivolity.

Pia – The little kitten we never expected to have, she made Rocca very jealous. While we didn’t have her long, she was definitely Dan’s little girl… she had the exact same hostile resting face as Dan!

Rocca – While technically Kimberly’s Dog of 14 years, Dan waged a hard-fought campaign when we met and earned Rocca’s ultimate love and respect. Eventually, she became more of a Daddy’s girl… she truly adored Dan.