Daniel Gerard LANDER

1952 - 2023

Daniel Gerard Lander, 71, of Spokane, Washington, passed away on February 26, 2023. Dan was born on February 24, 1952, in Spokane, Washington. He was premature, and the practice at that time was to place premature infants in an incubator with a high concentration of oxygen. Unfortunately, that treatment destroys the retina, and so Dan was blinded. Being blind did not interfere with Dan's ability to be a telephone operator from 1978 to 1989. He would have stayed in that job forever, but the telephone company converted to computers which required reading the screen. He trained as a medical transcriptionist at Spokane Community College and worked in that position until 1991. Dan also was a virtual assistant for a computer repair company. Dan enjoyed listening to Gregorian Chants. He was a ham radio operator and had an excellent memory. Dan's religious beliefs were very important to him. He was raised Roman Catholic, and in 1984 he became a Third Order Lay Associate, or as he called himself, "a religious", through the Montfort Brothers. Dan often referred to himself as "The Old Sheepdog". Why a sheepdog? Well, Dan believed his mission on Earth was to help Jesus. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The animal that helps a shepherd is a sheepdog. Dan was preceded in death by his father, William Lander; his mother, Marguerite Lander; and his brother, Bill Lander. A rosary and funeral mass was held at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Spokane, per Dan's wishes. Dan was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery. Many thanks to Barb Rice, Donna Treffry, Charlene Emerson, Father Michael Savelesky, Father Mike Hatcher, Donald Borowski, and numerous other friends for their help and friendship throughout Dan's life. Donations may be made to the church or charity of your choice in Dan's memory. Funeral arrangements were handled by Ball and Dodd Funeral Home, 5100 W. Wellesley Avenue, Spokane, WA 99205. www.ballanddodd.com.