A tribute to Dan relating to his importance in dealing with OSB board policy issues:

In 2009, having just been elected to the position of OSB board vice president several weeks earlier, the president resigned leaving those of us still serving to deal with a world premier opera being written by Stepen Schwartz, the world-famous composer of Wicked among many other theatrical productions, in just a matter of months.

I found the organization grossly over-extended both financially and artistically, and completely dominated by the demands of a coming production that was to be initially produced by our little company. Then our production was to be put on by the New York City Opera Company, virtuallyIntact, in their Lincoln Center home. Luckily, a staff member of OSB, a true opera professional, Joan Rutkowski, agreed to work with me and our staff on the production side, and Dan, our one practicing attorney, was forced to carry thelegal/business side.

By hook or crook, we managed to complete our end of the venture, and put on a first-rate production here in our beautiful home, the Granada Theater. Essentially the same production was restaged in New York’s Lincoln Center in 2011.

The opera ultimately failed to repeat except in a fully rewritten version, primarily because of a poor artistic decision made by the composer over my and others objections; but our little company shared in the aura associated with having mounted a first production by a well-known writer/composer.

Dan was the one person who made the most of the business/legal side of the venture, including arrangements for construction of an amazing set that we built with the prospect of future rentals, along with the costumes, etc.

I confess that as an opera lover and an investor, I would have been completely in over my head without our standing opera staff and without Joan and Dan to carry the day. If Opera Santa Barbara exists today, and it is definitely there and in even greater glory, it is the work of these dedicated people who could pick up the ball and create the vision of a total operating company down to the last note sung and dollar collected. They deserve to be heralded.

Dan, of course, can be credited for much, much more over the many years he was with OSB, but the ability to save the day under pressing circumstances was best demonstrated by him when we were under the threat of total disaster and in league with a much larger and better-known company.

That the New York City Opera Company (recall Beverly Sills) is now gone, but OSB still is producing the highest integrity productions in our small but vital town, we must still be doing something right.

Credit goes to the real professionals.

Duncan A.Mellichamp

My heart is so sad - Dan was larger than life and a teddy bear if you know how he felt about his family.  I worked with him for 19 years and though I was told he was a real "hard ass" to work for, I always enjoyed working with Dan and had the utmost respect for him.   Romy and Rick are in my prayers!

Daniel Reicker: Always bigger than life to me. Admirable mind, he dictated complicated contracts perfectly down to punctuation. He once listened to a half hour tirade by me laying out the strength of a case. He then spent a half hour rebutting my case point by point. Fireworks display on a fine mind. He was recognized by his profession. He phoned a large law firm on my behalf, stated his name and firm and said “My client has no part in your action” and that was the end of it.

He was my friend for 60 years, a great companion and much fun to be with. The preceding is not a summary of his character or life but rather fond remembrances of a long and irreplaceable friendship. I know in the vastness of God's creation we will meet again.

Victor Wild

January 2026

Dan Reicker was a principled, punctual, thoughtful and factual professional whose warmth, care and consideration prides me to call him a close friend of 30 years. He frequently would tell me that he enjoyed one hobby that he absolutely loved; to practice law.

Dan was a founding partner in his law firm, and he brought to his work the same integrity, thoughtfulness, and dedication that defined the rest of his life. He believed deeply in quality and doing things well and doing them right. He took pride not just in success, but in producing work that he would be proud to associate his name with. His eye for details made his products unique and noteworthy.

Beyond his profession, Dan was a supporter of the local symphony, valuing music as a way to bring people together, and he found joy in simple pleasures—especially a good California red wine shared in good company.

It always interested me how he knew everyone of significance in Santa Barbara County and his association with them; he was definitely a Who is Who in this area.

What will be remembered most, though, is not just what Dan did, but how he lived and how he made people feel. He leaves behind a legacy of commitment, generosity, and quiet appreciation for life’s richness. We will miss his presence deeply, but we are grateful for the time we had, the conversations we shared, and the example he set. In remembering Dan, we honor a life well lived and a friend who will not be forgotten.

I would often sit next to Dan at OperaSB Board meetings.  He was so knowledgeable and a true backbone of this company.  Our Board members will really miss him.

Barbara Burger

Dear Romy, we are very sorry to hear of Dan's passing. He was a very kind, generous und warm-hearted person. We enjoyed being with him so much.

Your German friends 

Jutta and Erich