Dan J. Daniels was born September 4, 1940 in Sheridan, Wyoming to Daisy Doris and Charles Daniels.

He was husband to Dixie, father to Dan T., Paul, Danielle, Duane, Jenifer, and his baby girl Darlene, Rick and Tammy passed away on Saturday, February 22, 2014 after valiantly fighting Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for many years.

Dan and his lovely bride Dixie moved to Arizona from Sheridan, Wyoming ten years ago for health reasons. (Some of Darlene's siblings, however, believed she actually planned to move them here from Wyoming along with a number of other Sheridanites when she was unable to find a teaching job closer to them).

Dan was a big, big man both in stature and in spirit. His shoulders were broad and his heart was generous and he gave freely to those who asked or needed help understanding that he might never be repaid his kindness. He was a friend not just to his neighbors, but before his health began to fail, he and Dixie often took truckloads of clothing, food and other necessities to the poor in Mexico. Despite declining health Dan was always cheerful, compassionate and thought of others first. He was known to especially enjoy early morning telephone conversations with his children while drinking his coffee with his favorite cats.

Dan graduated from Sheridan High School in 1958. He raised his family in Dayton, Wyoming, a small town outside of Sheridan and taught them the value of hard work, responsibility and the Word of Our Lord. He and Dixie ran a number of successful businesses in Sheridan before retiring to Arizona and was known far and wide as a good, honest man and renowned arborist.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents and "Dad" Phil Reamers and Barbara Daniels.

In addition to the love of his life, Dixie and his children, Dan is survived by a dear brother Bill Caskey of Sheridan, and 52 grandchildren and great-grandchildren whom he loved dearly and friends and admirers too numerous to count.

A memorial service will be held at 1pm on Monday March 3rd at Messinger Payson Funeral Home (901 S. Westerly Rd.).

Contributions for stem cell research may be made In Memory of Dan Daniels to: International Cell Surgical Society, 72780 Country Club Drive, Suite 301, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. For more information contact Amy at 480-342-7003.

The Sheridan Press - Feb. 28, 2014.