David Lee Danner, 73

David Lee Danner, 73, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Ronan on Feb. 27, 2016.

Dave was born in Bowling Green, Ohio, on April 23, 1942, to Ruth and Don Danner. When he was 8, his dad moved the Danner family to Montello, Wisconsin, where Don had landed a new job with Wisconsin Telephone Company. Dave always considered Montello his “boyhood home,” although the family moved frequently and he spent his growing-up years not just in Montello but also in Corsicana, Texas, Marshfield, Wisconsin, and Indio, California.

After graduation from Indio High School in 1960, Dave moved to Madison, Wisconsin, with his parents.

Soon after, he continued the family military tradition. Following in his dad’s and his brother Frank’s footsteps, Dave enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Extremely proud of his Navy years and honored to have served his country, Dave spoke fondly of his time on the USS Canberra in the Pacific.

When he finished his tour in the Navy, he moved to Sacramento, California, where his parents had relocated. He was a body man for Cal Tran (California Department of Transportation) in Marysville for decades. He loved working on cars and trucks, fixing the big plow rigs for Cal Tran by day and restoring cars and trucks by night and weekends.

A lifelong fisherman, Dave was attracted to the great fishing in Montana and vacationed there to fish for the trophies with brother Frank. After retiring from Cal Tran, it was an easy decision for Dave to move to Big Sky Country. He worked for a few years in the auto industry as a service manager and spent a couple of years as an appliance delivery specialist with Sears. Being near great fishing was a priority, and Dave was on Montana lakes year-round with this friends and his brother.

With a one-ton pickup and a fifth wheel, he made the trip back to Montello to visit old friends a few years ago. He visited the old family home, the athletic field where he pitched his first ballgame, and he spent time over coffee with numerous friends, sharing stories of growing up in small town America in the 1950s. He recently bought a new truck and trailer, making plans to do one more trip “back east,” but he was called to his heavenly home before he had the chance.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents and his brother.