David Howard McDaniel

David Howard McDaniel, 75, of Kansas City, Kansas, died March 7, 2024. He is survived by his wife Donna (Youngken), originally from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, and they celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary in September. He is also survived by his daughters Jennifer (Brad) Cunningham of Manhattan, KS, and Whitney (Dustin) Medlin of Spring Hill, KS, as well as his son, Cole (Lauren) McDaniel of Manhattan, KS; his grandchildren Oliver, Madison, Dallas, and Savannah; his brothers, Robert, John, and Carl; and his sisters Lori and Tina; their spouses and partners; many nieces and nephews, and many loving friends. David was preceded in death by his parents Howard and Evelyn Ruth (Beacham) McDaniel; sister Minda “Sue” and brother Richard. Dave was born June 3, 1948, and lived in the Kansas City area for most of his life. He graduated from Rosedale High School in 1966 and started at Kansas State University afterward. Dave was a talented musician. He played violin from a young age and was an award-winning pianist well into adulthood. He sang and played guitar, bass, and fiddle professionally in several country western and rock-n-roll bands and had his own local band for most of his adult life. Just before his passing, he was still playing a regular gig with a community group in Basehor, KS. In addition to music, David was a competitive amateur bowler who traveled to multiple regional and national tournaments, including Las Vegas, even in the senior brackets. He had 2 perfect games of 300, another at 299, and he usually averaged 190-200. Sometimes tournaments led to vacations with his wife Donna, and sometimes they just traveled for vacation in general. David enjoyed all aspects of American history and especially loved to visit places of all kinds to learn more about Native American history and culture, pioneering and settlement, and the Wild West. He loved reading and watching westerns and books/shows about martial arts and Asian cultures. He and Donna have traveled to most of the United States together. David has always encouraged his children and family to get out and experience new things and travel to experience new places – anything from the Ice Capades and shows at the circus – to Washington DC or a dip in the ocean. He always shared stories and advice from his own life and travel experiences as well. Along with bowling and music, this included teaching all of us about his favorite pastime, fishing, from brothers to nephews and nieces to grandbabies. David was a bona fide angler and knowledgeable fisherman. His focus was fishing for bass, but he really enjoyed exploring all types of fish. His wife Donna introduced him to fishing the ocean, and they also spent time in the Bayou catching redfish. David was interested in fishing for sport and loved to eat a tasty catch. He took his children camping and fishing regularly at Truman Lake, Lake of the Ozarks, and more local lakes and farm ponds – even the occasional river. He shared his affinity for fishing with each of his brothers, and they would often go out fishing together and take his nieces and nephews along as well. Fishing was also an activity that he and Donna enjoyed doing with some of his best friends and occasionally entered fishing tournaments with them. David met many of his friends in school, in bands, and at work. He previously worked for the Kansas City Kansas Board of Public Utilities and several private companies as a tree trimmer and supervisor. When he was older, he partnered with his brother Robert in a local vending machine business called Mac’s Snacks, and later, he continued vending for a private company until his eventual retirement. What was most important to David was family. He has been a proud patriarch – taking his roles as eldest sibling, uncle and father very seriously (if not too seriously at times). He doted on children (both his own and others), making them laugh, playing music for them, and encouraging them to build strong futures. He played and coached sports like softball and mentored kids through church, sports, and music. In recent years, this included a special camaraderie with family friend Kevin Buck whom he was teaching to play guitar and then developed into an even stronger connection. David really felt the gifts brought back by his mentoring and especially this friendship. David tried to attend every event that he could for his children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren devoted to sports, theater, dance, orchestra, and more. If there was a family event, he would be there, even if it was a 2-hour drive for a half-hour performance or graduation, or an 8-hour drive for a wedding. David was supportive and enjoyed spending this time with his children, grandchildren, and other family. He even played on adult softball teams with Jennifer, bowled on teams with Cole, and went fishing with Whitney and her family – always showing us the ropes. With his “Bride” Donna, he also enjoyed trying new restaurants (especially Mexican food), going to the movies, and watching the Kansas City Chiefs and other sports teams. He will be greatly missed in our everyday lives, and we will always cherish these memories. A private celebration of life will be planned for David and his family with a few close friends in the near future. Please send condolences to his home address or via Maple Hill Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family appreciates donations in honor of David be given to any of the following: American Liver Foundation, St. Luke’s Hospice House (Kansas City), or the Kansas Music Educators Association Fund.

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David Howard McDaniel

June 3, 1948 - March 7, 2024