Danny David Daniels

1931 - 2025

Danny David Daniels
May 12, 1931 - August 3, 2025
Danny David Daniels Sr, 94, passed on August 3, 2025 in San Antonio. Born in Ironton, Ohio on May 12, 1931 to Bertha Shepherd Daniels and Hobart Daniels, shortly thereafter the family moved to San Antonio.
As a youngster during WWII, he delivered Life, Look, and Saturday Evening Post magazines, to subscribers' homes and businesses, selling the remainder on city street corners.
Danny entered the Navy at 17 serving during the Korean Conflict as a Salvage Diver on the aircraft carriers USS Antietam and USS Boxer. On leave in San Antonio in 1949, he saw a beautiful young woman sitting alone in a window alcove at a dance. The conversation he struck up with her, Barbara Ann Dury, lasted 75 years – 2 years engaged, and 73 years married. They wed on May 31, 1952 and had three children Keith, Danny. Jr, and Dawn.
Leaving the Navy after marriage, he worked fulltime at City Public Service Gas Department, retiring from CPS after 30 years, while simultaneously serving in the USAF Reserves.
He was a great supporter to his children's activities - Scouting, football, band, school plays, trail riding, and building a fabulous back yard tree house.
Danny's love of hobbies is legendary in the family: rifle, shotgun, and bow hunting; fishing, building his own fiberglass boat, tennis, jogging, bowling, learning Spanish, blacksmithing, oil painting, volunteering as a Deputy Sheriff, first aid responder, downhill skiing, reading, flying his 2 seater Cessna, and cattle ranching – the Dan-Bar Ranch was the venue for many memorable Easter celebrations, skeet shooting, tractor hayrides, and other family gatherings.
Danny is survived by son Danny Jr. and wife Gayelyn, daughter Dawn Smith and husband Frank, and loving daughter-in-law Wanda Daniels. Danny was blessed with 6 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandson. He was preceded in death by wife, Barbara A. Daniels, eldest son, Keith J. Daniels, and great-grandson, Caleb Tinsley.
The family extends thanks to Touchstone Hospice especially nurse Briana Naegelin and Chaplain Linda Lowe, and Cardinal Senior Services caregivers – Roxanne Rodriguez, Mercedes Hernandez, Luz Karides, Dolly Garcia, Sara Ruiz, and Terry Shaw.
In lieu of flowers Dad requested donations to Mission Heritage Partners (supporting the San Antonio Historic Missions) at missionheritagepartners.org, KPAC Radio Station, or Texas Air Museum, by check to 1234 99th St, San Antonio, TX, 78214. Full obituary on the Mission Park webpage.
Services will be held at Mission Park South on Tuesday, August 19th at 11:00 AM. Interment to follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at 1:30 PM with reception following at Paloma Blanca on Broadway.