Danny Joseph Sheff

1919 - 2006

Danny Joseph Sheff, born Feb. 7, 1919, passed away at age 86, on New Years Day, Jan. 1, 2006, due to heart failure, after a brief time in the hospital with pneumonia and other complications.

Dan was born in Carlton, Minn., and was the tenth child of Levi (Oliver Joseph) and Eliza Sheff. He moved to Ventura with his mother when he was 12 years old. He went to school until the tenth grade but needed to work full-time to help his ailing mother. He worked as a trainer at Seaside Park in Ventura, exercising horses and breaking in colts for racing.

He joined the Army in 1942 and served as a medic in North Africa, France, and Germany, during World War II. He left the Army in 1945 and went to work on the Hoffman ranch until the mid-1950s, doing what he loved — riding and taking care of horses. He was also a horse jockey at Seaside Park.

He became a full-time firefighter at Point Mugu Naval Base in the mid-1950s and part-time horse horseshoer. He retired from the fire department in the mid-1970s and kept his horseshoing business.

He married Bette in 1956, who had two boys, Jim and John Griffin. A short time after, they moved from Ventura to the Ojai Valley area, where he lived the rest of his life. In 1962 his son, Daniel Richard was born. His first grandson, Brandon James, was born in May of 1989, and Dan nicknamed him "Woob." His second grandson, Levi Daniel, was born in April 1995, and Dan nicknamed him "Stumpy."

Dan and Bette were known by many in Ojai Valley as the happy "Ma and Pa Sheff" couple, driving around Ojai in their 1966 GMC pickup truck. When Bette needed additional care, Dan did not want to be separated from her, so they moved to Acacias Nursing Center in May of 2004. It was a difficult decision for them to make, but it turned out for the best. With Bette receiving the special care provided by the nursing center, Dan had more opportunities to socialize with friends, which he really enjoyed. Acacias loved him and his humor. He and Bette were frequently visited by friends, and many would take Dan on outings. He would also wait on the wall by Acacias to see who he could hitch a ride with that day, and people would look for him and wave. It is going to be hard seeing that wall empty.

On weekends, a good friend of theirs, Nancy, would pick up Dan, bring him over to his son's house, and take him to her house. She was a great help to our family and she will always be a part of it.

Dan never had a bad thing to say about anyone. He never complained and did not want anyone to worry about him. He just took one day at a time, and made the most of every day. Everyone loved talking to him, and listening to stories from his life. No one will ever forget the pranks he played on people. He passed that on to his son and grandkids. Young Danny would put mustard on his dad's glasses while he was sleeping. It was funny to hear him holler at Danny when he woke up and couldn't see.

Melody Sheff fondly reflects, "I met Dan 25 years ago, when I started dating Danny. He has been my father-in-law for 21 years, and I couldn't have asked for a better one. My family loved him, and he was always making them laugh. The one thing I learned early on was not to eat anything he made. Who knows what was in it! He always tried to get me to eat Rocky Mountain Oysters, disguising them in food. I am going to really miss his laugh, his stories, times spent bantering with him, the funny faces he made, and most of all, that big smile of his. I still expect to see him walk through our door."

Dan has touched many lives during his lifetime. He will always be remembered as one of the old time cowboys of Ojai Valley.

He was a dedicated husband who was inseparable from his wife, a dad who was always there for his son Danny (who called him "pard" and thought the world of him), a stepdad to Jim and John who was there if they needed him, a "Papa Dan" to Brandon and Levi (who loved him so much), and a papa who loved spending time with his grandkids and always had hugs and a big smile for them. Finally, he was a fantastic friend to many people.

All of us will miss him and his big smile, but we will never forget him. We will all pass on all the great times and stories of Dan, and he will live on forever.

He is survived by his wife, Bette; his son and daughter-in-law, Danny and Melody Sheff; his two grandsons, Brandon (16), and Levi (10); stepsons, John Griffin, and Jim Griffin and his wife Mary; brother-in-law, Richard Weaver and wife, Sumiko; and a great number of wonderful friends.

The celebration of Dan's long and wonderful life was attended by family and numerous friends on Jan. 15, 2006, at the Ojai Valley Moose Lodge.

The family wishes to thank all who honored Dan on that day, and the Moose Lodge for their generous support of the celebration. We also want to thank the staffs at Acacias and the Ojai Hospital for the care they gave to Dan, and for the compassion they had for his family.