*Daniel James Wilber*

(1951–2026)

Daniel (Dan) James Wilber, 74, of Port Allegany, PA, passed away on January 26, 2026. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the son of the late Lloyd Wilber and Arlene Griffin. A U.S. Army veteran, he served honorably following his high school graduation from West Tech High School in 1969. After the military, he worked during the day as a truck driver for A&E Distributors Inc., and evenings as a security guard, dedicated to supporting his family where they resided in Mentor-on-the-Lake, OH. In 1986, Dan moved with his daughters to Corry, PA, where he lived for almost 20 years before finding the countryside home he cherished in Port Allegany.

Dan spent nearly 45 years as an owner-operator truck driver, known as “Wheels” or Big Dan to hundreds in the trucking community, and he logged millions of miles across the country with pride and dignity. In his younger years, Dan coached the West Denison Little League Baseball team in Cleveland, OH, and spent weekends racing cars at the Painesville Speedway, formerly known as the Lake County Speedway. He remained a passionate sports fan throughout his life, enjoying football, baseball, and basketball, especially watching his favorite teams, the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Dan treasured spending time at his home nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, where he found peace and solitude amidst the natural beauty of his land. He is survived by his wife of 18 years, Minerva Bacon; two daughters, Melanie (Craig) Birchard of Grand Valley and Danielle (Ken) Jackson of Fairview; two grandchildren, Savannah Birchard and Zoey Birchard; two great-grandchildren, Tatumn Daniel James Wilber and Taylin Noelle Grace Wilber-Birchard; four step-daughters, Jessica Craker of Erie, Lana (Stevan) Barth of Port Allegany, Shannon Johnston of Eldred, and Sherri (Jon) Clark of Eldred; a step-son, Stephen (Emily) Craker of Greenville; several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; a sister, Pamela Wilber; nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and fellow truckers. He was predeceased by his father and mother; a brother, Michael Wilber; a sister, Pat (Timothy) Martinson; a step-brother, Dan Lamont; and two step-sisters, Mary Hoffman and Sandra (John) McDonnie. 

Arrangements for a future Celebration of Life gathering are pending, to be announced at a later date. In the meantime, please leave your condolences, tell a good story about Dan, add an event to his timeline, or add a picture or two of him. Your words and memories mean the world to us and will help honor and remember him. 

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