Daniel F. Lyons

Daniel Fredrick Lyons, age 73, of Pelham, Alabama, passed away on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, in the company of two of his brothers, Tom and Rich Lyons. Dan was born on 11 March 1952 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Vincent and Barbara Lyons, the first of their nine children.

Dan graduated from Thornapple Kellogg High School in Middleville, Michigan, in 1970. He played Varsity Football under coaches Bob White and Jerry Page and competed in Varsity Wrestling during the formation of Middleville’s first team. Throughout high school, he worked a variety of local jobs—washing dishes at Wiley’s Chuck Wagon, frying food at both the Avalon Bar and the Middleville Hotel, and selling candy and cigarettes at Brog’s Station. As a freshman at Kalamazoo College, he earned a starting position on the defensive line. After his first season, he left school to join the U.S. Army in 1971. Dan went on to serve more than ten years as an MP Sergeant in U.S. Occupied Germany, where his work focused on safeguarding soldiers through the investigation of drug-related crimes and violent threats. He returned to Michigan with his new wife and their only son, Vincent—now living in Bangkok, Thailand—and began his studies at Grand Valley State University around 1981. Dan earned both a Bachelor’s Degree and an MBA in Business Management. Throughout his life, he embraced a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures—from selling roasted chestnuts on the streets of Grand Rapids during his college years, to buying and selling refurbished vehicles in Bakersfield, CA, serving drinks at The Dry Cow Saloon in Ogden, UT, and building web pages and grilling buffalo burgers in Casper, WY. Dan later relocated to Pelham, AL, where he served as a Construction Administrator for Scott Howell’s company, a role that became the final chapter of his long and varied career. The Howell family welcomed Dan not only as an employee but as one of their own, folding him into their lives with genuine warmth and inviting him to share in their family celebrations and worship alongside them at church.

Dan’s hobbies included reading fiction, enjoying computer gaming, and challenging friends to the occasional game of pool. He had a wonderfully uncommon—and proudly cheesy—sense of humor, often repeating his most outrageous quips with such commitment that they became beloved running jokes. Though he lived far from his relatives, Dan remained deeply interested in their lives and well being. He was a lifelong member of the VA and consistently volunteered his time to support fellow veterans. Whether offering companionship, delivering meals, or assisting those in wheelchairs, he served with quiet dedication and sincere care.

Dan is preceded in death by his parents and grandparents. He is survived by three brothers, Thomas (Theresa), Richard (Linda), and John (Carmen) Lyons; and five sisters, Mary E. Lyons, Martha (Scott) Edwards, Patricia (Ty) Blum, Barbara Glass, and Eileen (Brian) Dove. He also leaves behind many cousins, nieces, and nephews, as well as grand and great grand nieces and nephews.

A memorial service to celebrate Dan’s life will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care. Interment with full military honors will follow at Fort Custer National Cemetery. Personal messages for the family may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/. Dan lived a life defined by service—to his country, to his community, and to the people around him. His presence will be deeply missed, and his memory will live on in the hearts of his family, friends, and fellow veterans.