Daniel George Cannon
April 19, 1928 - January 7, 2014
Dan was born in Seattle, Washington to Katherine Dennis Kern Cannon and Daniel Mark Cannon. He was the second of three children. He had an older sister Kay and a younger sister Sue. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1946. After graduating, Dan enrolled in the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California and later transferred to the Cornish School of Art in Seattle.
In 1950 Dan was drafted into the Korean War. He was first stationed in Japan and then transferred to front line combat in Korea. Dan was a member of the 223rd Regimental Combat Team of the 40th division and finished his tour of duty in October 1952.
Dan enrolled at the University of Washington in 1953 as a freshman. He finished his bachelors and masters degrees in the next three years. Upon graduating from the University of Washington, Dan was hired at Nathan Eckstein Junior High School in Seattle as a teacher of art, social science and geography. He then went on to teach at Lincoln High School in Seattle.
In 1959 Dan married his wife Gail. They had a daughter, Casey, quickly followed by daughter Paige, then daughter Erinn. In 1963 the family moved to San Jose, California where Dan taught at San Jose State College and enrolled in the doctoral program at Stanford University. Shortly thereafter, daughter Kelli was born.
Dan received his PhD in Art Education from Stanford University. He was hired as Chairman of the Art Department at Oregon College of Education (OCE), now Western Oregon University in Monmouth. Dan worked in the Art Department at Western Oregon University for nearly 30 years.
Dan had abundant positive energy, and during his career was involved in many organizations supporting and promoting the arts and art education. He served as President of the Seattle Art Teachers Association, President of Grapha Techna men's art honorary at the University of Washington, President of the Northwest Watercolor Society, and President of the States Assembly of the National Art Education Association. He participated in the Santa Clara Art League, Oregon Art Education Association, and the Alliance for Art Education. Dan was a Fulbright Professor of Art at Mahidol University in Bangkok Thailand and an adjunct Professor at Willamette University in Salem Oregon. He was also a mentor for Columbia Commonwealth University. Dan developed the Oregon Elementary Art Education guide and wrote a number of articles for various professional journals.
Dan valued his community and was active in local politics. He was elected to the City Council in Monmouth, a position he held for four years and served two terms on the Central 13 J School Board. He was also a member of the Monmouth Independence Community Art Association for many years.
In the early 1980's Dan worked at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as the Executive Director of the Alliance for Art Education. He was then hired for a one-year term as the Executive Director of the National Art Education Association in Reston, Virginia.
As a painter, Dan had a number of one-man exhibitions and participated in numerous juried exhibitions. Dan was recently honored to exhibit his work at the Governor's Office in our State Capitol.
Dan was a founding member of the River Gallery in Independence, Oregon. He and his wife Gail funded the Dan and Gail Cannon Gallery of Art, granting scholarships to art students at WOU.
Dan was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2010, and incurred many life changes in a short period of time. All the while Dan maintained a positive attitude and continued with his unfailing support of others.
Dan died of pneumonia, a complication of Parkinson's disease, peacefully with family by his side.
Dan was preceded in death by his wife Gail and his sister Kay and is survived by his sister Sue West and his four daughters: Casey and her husband Tim Price, Paige and her husband Rob Emmons, Erinn and her husband Kelly Roth, and Kelli Cannon. Dan has 11 grandchildren: Branch and Jessie Price; Taylor and Jordan Long; Dustin, Hunter, Spencer and Kenna Roth; Torie Nguyen Khak and Nick & Ali Emmons. Additionally, Dan has one great-granddaughter, Matilda Nguyen Khak.
Dan will be laid to rest next to his beloved wife Gail at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.
A celebration of Dan's life will be held on February 15 from 3-5 p.m. at the Rice Auditorium at Western Oregon University in Monmouth.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Western Oregon University Foundation.
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Published in StatesmanJournal on Jan. 26, 2014
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