Dan, 74, of McKinney, Texas, died Saturday, April 30, 2022 with his family by his side.

He was born on July 11, 1948 in St. Louis, Missouri. His early adult life was one of responsibility after his father became disabled by a heart attack. Dan found himself struggling to support the family until finances improved.

Dan met his wife, Carol Clark, in St. Louis on a blind date. They hit it off immediately, culminating in a marriage that lasted over 48 years. Carol had a young daughter, Kathleen, whom he soon adopted. Dan was the father Kathleen always wanted.

The family moved to Boca Raton, Florida, where they became involved with horses. A co-worker offered a “free” horse if Dan would feed and care for it. The horse was given to Kathleen, and soon Dan wanted one of his own. Although we became “horse poor” those were the best years of our life. Dan and Kathleen were riding buddies, spending nearly every day together. Their shared passion led them to becoming the best of friends – a special relationship that was more like a sibling than parent.

The next adventure was moving to Hazel Green, Alabama. Buying a mobile home and 7 acres of land meant the horses had plenty of room to run. It was heaven on earth for all; horses, people, dogs, opossums, deer, barn cats and fireflies.

When our daughter died of Lupus, the world turned dark. Just when it looked like life would never get better, an offer of a job working on the island of Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands came through. Suddenly, we were going to become island people.

We signed up for two years and stayed 17. Dan discovered a talent for writing and eventually became manager of the Army newspaper, the “Hourglass”. He also ran the local TV station which began with 2 stations and expanded to 8. Dan built friendships that lasted the rest of his life. He will always be part of the “Kwajalein” family.

While on Kwajalein, we had the opportunity to travel the world. Standing on the beaches of Normandy where D-Day took place was one of the most moving experiences he ever had. Dan never forgot to be grateful for all the good things in his life.

Dan was preceded in death by his mother, father, and daughter. He is survived by his brothers, Michael Adler (Linda), Jim Adler (Kim); his nieces, Alyson and Taylor; and nephews, Gregory and Nicholas.

He will be interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Poplar Bluff, Missouri next to his daughter, Kathleen.