Daniel (Dan), 84, of Urbana passed away on Monday, June 26, 2023 after losing his battle with a cancerous brain tumor. Dan was born in Chicago to Gilbert and Letha McKenzie on September 20, 1938.
As a teenager his family moved to Homer, Illinois. Dan married Angela Lynch in 1958 and they had three children. He then married Kathy Shaw on November 20, 1993.
Dan leaves behind his three children, Kristi (Paul) Lewis of Sidney, Kevin (Julie) McKenzie of Danville, and Lisa (Jeff) Covington of Ozark, Mo. He also leaves behind eight grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren to be born this summer.
Proceeding him in death were his parents and his sister, Betty Cooper.
Dan graduated from Homer High School in 1956, where he lettered in football, track, and basketball. He set the school record in track in the 880, which stood until metric was used for distances in track. Dan also graduated from Eastern Illinois University and was a Certified Purchasing Agent.
Dan worked for many years in banking and then went on to work at the University of Illinois in the Purchasing Division as a purchasing agent. He also worked as an accountant for the University Library. Dan taught accounting part-time at Parkland College for 18 years, a job he enjoyed very much.
Dan was a member of the Homer Lions Club and then the Urbana Lions club. He served as president for both clubs. He was also a member of the Corvette Club of Illinois and served as a trustee and publicity chairman. He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Urbana where he served on the Finance Council, counted the collections, and helped with funeral dinners, and the annual church garage sale.
Dan was a coach for his kids’ sports teams and was also a Boy Scout leader. He was also a big Illini fan and had season tickets for football and basketball for many years. Dan and Kathy attended many away football and basketball games, and several bowl games, including the Rose Bowl.
The family would like to extend their sincere thanks and gratitude to Dan’s hospice nurse, Bonita Kopmann and his Certified Nursing Assistant, Kari Genzel. We are so very grateful and appreciative of your professionalism and your exceptional care and kindness. Thank you for the comfort you gave Dan, as well as the wonderful insights, knowledge, and emotional support you showed our family.
Visitation for Dan will be Friday, June 30, from 5:00 to 7:00 at Renner Wikoff Funeral Home, Urbana. There will be a funeral mass on Saturday, July1, at 10:00 at St. Patrick Church, Urbana, immediately followed by a luncheon. Burial of cremains will be held Wednesday, July5 at 10:00 at Mt Olive Cemetery, Mayview, Il. In leu of flowers and plants, donations may be made in memory of Dan to St. Patrick Church, 708 West Main St, Urbana, il. 61801.
News-Gazette 6/29/2023
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