Daniel J. McCormick

Daniel Joseph McCormick was born on January 1, 1943, in Madison, Nebraska, to parents Lucille (Noecker) and Clarence Bernard McCormick.
His parents married in 1941 in Nebraska, where they lived until moving to Correctionville, Iowa, in 1951. During that time, his father C.B. served in the Navy in the South Pacific in WWII until 1946. Dan had a unique and modest childhood, being raised in one of the only white families on the Santee Indian Reservation. In Iowa, his father, a blacksmith, owned and operated a machine shop. Dan was the oldest, followed by sisters Gayle (Foard) and Susan (Elgert), then brothers Roger, Jack, Kelly, and Patrick.
Dan enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. Coming from the Midwest, this is how he learned he got seasick, but he stuck with it! Dan wasted no time after leaving the military, leveraging his veteran's benefits to receive an education and buy investment property. He first secured a very good job as computer engineer at IBM, where he met his future wife, Evelyn, originally from New Mexico. He drove a gold Corvette but still had to ask her out several times until she agreed to go on a date with him. Six months later, on June 13, 1970, they married in Orange, California. She was 20 and he was 27. Using a VA loan, he purchased a duplex, sold that, then bought a quadplex, living in and managing these as landlord while working full-time. Soon, Shannon and Erica were born. In 1977 he received his Associates degree from Santa Ana Community College.
In an ambitious move, Dan decided to purchase a 25-acre avocado orchard in Corona, California, in 1978. Ryan was then born. Dan learned how to be an avocado grower and managed the groves while working full-time. His children grew up with him driving the quad or tractor, fixing irrigation lines, grafting trees, cutting wood, and working with the crews of pickers while they filled giant bins of avocados to be sold; Evelyn would translate the Spanish for him. This gave his children a magical upbringing. They could run wild exploring the groves and hills. His mother-in-law Antonia lived in the little house down the hill, always ready to feed her grandchildren whenever they appeared.
Dan would come home from his day job at IBM, have some family time, then often make his way into the garage to work on his classic car. He fully restored a beautiful red MG from a drivetrain and a box of parts. His last project was a baby blue Oldsmobile. He often enjoyed classic car shows with his family or friends.
Dan took early retirement but wouldn't stay retired. He tried his hand as a realtor, then moved his family to Oregon and bought a 115-acre tree farm. The avocado ranch turned out to be a great investment. He learned to be a forester, logging the trees as needed, and started a nursery, which grew to several greenhouses. Dan kept himself busy with a range of projects, from building an apartment then a garage, to working on his equipment; and someone always had a vehicle needing his expertise. It seemed he could build or fix anything. When the grandchildren came along, he enjoyed building them a sandy beach at the pond, fishing, grilling, and giving them rides on the tractor.
As entrepreneurial as Dan was, with all the hats he wore, loving husband, father, and grandfather were probably his proudest roles. He worked hard his whole life to provide for his family, and that he did. Despite starting with nothing, he achieved so much. He leaves behind a legacy of hard work, quiet wisdom, and a life fully lived.
Dan died peacefully at home on February 8, 2025. He was 82 years old. He never thought he would live so long! He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Roger, Susan, and Jack, and granddaughter Drianna. He is survived by his loving wife Evelyn, siblings Gayle, Kelly, and Patrick, children Shannon, Erica, and Ryan, grandchildren Kali, Jayden, and Liam, and many nephews and nieces.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Saturday February 15, 2025, at Macy and Son in McMinnville, Oregon, followed by burial with military honors at Salt Creek Cemetery near Dallas, Oregon.