Daniel E. Smith, Jr., 46, of Purcellville, Virginia, was called home by his Heavenly Father on February 6, 2025—fittingly, the same day young Dan accepted Jesus Christ as his savior many years ago.
Born in Phoenix on August 21, 1978, to Daniel and Carol Smith, Dan spent his childhood at Tri-City Baptist Church and its school, eventually graduating from Tri-City Christian Academy in Tempe, Arizona, in 1996. (Yes, he wore that cap and gown with pride.)
In 2024, Dan earned his Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Computer Information Systems from Purdue Global University, summa cum laude—because if Dan was going to do something, he was going to ace it.
Dan’s greatest pride and joy were his two amazing daughters, Abbey K. Smith, 22, and Emma L. Smith, 19, both of Purcellville. He was married to their mother, Jana Smith, for 22 years. Dan loved being a dad more than anything—yes, even more than his impressive career. Family trips to Disney World were a favorite, where Dan unleashed his inner child, probably challenging Goofy to a dance-off.
Dan’s work ethic kicked in early. At 15, he was painting houses, pedaling his bike for miles with all his gear strapped on like a teenage superhero. By 16, he was sporting his "Best Buy" suit on Sundays, looking sharp and ready for anything life threw his way. His time at Circuit City laid the groundwork for his future success —he always said that’s where he learned the ropes. Then one day, he spotted a want ad in the newspaper looking for someone to sell computers to the government. Dan, never one to shy away from an opportunity, jumped right in. Before long, he was managing people twice his age at McBride & Associates in Phoenix, all while barely out of his teens.
It wasn’t long before GTSI in Chantilly lured him east with a position as an Enterprise Solution Consultant. This role brought Dan and his growing young family to Virginia, where he quickly climbed the ranks again, leading a team of 30 consultants and engineers. His next stop was Govplace, where he became the President of Technology and stayed until 2015, transforming teams and making waves as usual.
For the next seven years, Dan was at ManTech, where his final role was Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. But if you asked him, his favorite job was as Vice President and Division Manager, overseeing 740 employees—though he likely knew each of their names and what snacks they liked best.
Dan later worked with his mentor, Bryan Ware, at Looking Glass and ZeroFox from 2022 to March 2023. By April 2024, Dan had taken on his latest adventure as Vice President and General Manager of the Homeland Security Sector at GDIT. Titles aside, Dan was always more about people than positions, building teams and friendships wherever he went.
Dan met his fiancée, Amy Bradley, while hiking—because, of course, Dan would meet the love of his life doing something adventurous. He proposed on February 11, 2024, with a RingPop—because nothing says "forever" like candy bling. They had planned to marry in Sedona, Arizona, on October 18, 2025. Together, they shared an epic love story filled with hiking, word games, OrangeTheory smackdowns, and globe-trotting adventures, especially to Kauai.
Dan is survived by his beloved daughters, Abbey and Emma Smith; his loving parents, Daniel and Carol Smith; his brothers, Tom Smith (and wife Mattie) and Steve Smith; and his cherished nieces and nephews, Charlie, James, and Hannah Smith.
Services will be held at Cornerstone Chapel on February 15, 2025, at 11 a.m. A Celebration of Life will follow service from 1:00-4:00 pm at Belmont Country Club.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Dysautonomia International, Inc., to fund research on dysautonomia, or to the Spookstock Foundation, dedicated to supporting children of fallen shadow warriors.
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