Daniel Phillip Church
Aug 2, 1952 -
Nov 26, 2021
Dan was born in the small farm town of Palmer in the territory of Alaska on Aug. 2, 1952, as the third son of proud parents John E. Church Jr. and Marjorie E. (Peterson) Church.
Moving to Whitney Railroad Station on Elmendorf AFB at the age of 5, Dan attended elementary school at Wilson Village, Mt. Spurr and Sunflower Elementary schools. After moving to Mt. View in 1964, he continued on to Clark Jr. High and East High School. Dan had the largest paper route in Anchorage - Daily Times - during junior high and worked all the "cool kids" jobs during high school including the Pink Elephant Car Wash, box boy at Safeway and driving the ultimate muscle cars of the times as lot attendant at Anchorage Chrysler Center.
Dan graduated from East High School in 1970, being voted Sweetheart of the Year by his classmates and became a state champion wrestler in the 165lb weight division.
In 1971, friends Kathy and Jody encouraged Dan to enroll in an airlines personnel training school with them, which inadvertently put him on a path to a lifelong career in the airline industry. He was first hired with Allied Maintenance Aircraft Fleet Services, then hired by Western Airlines where he later transferred to Seattle Washington. In 1985, Dan took an early retirement when Western Airlines was bought out by Delta earning him lifetime flight privileges with Delta Airlines.
Dan was hoping to enjoy some free time between jobs while collecting his unemployment pay when, much to his dismay, his visiting sister-in-law Michelle answered his phone and it was Boeing Company offering him a job. This led to a 23-year career in aircraft design, fabrication, assembly and maintenance with Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union.
Dan thrived on learning every aspect of his job including geometrics, system designs and inspection protocols, becoming certified in every available area of his expertise. Dan retired from Boeing in 2009 as a Lead Inspector.
Although becoming a homebody later in life, Dan had many travel adventures early on, visiting National Parks, rv-ing, riding motorcycles to the coast, boating in Prince William Sound and mountain hiking with family and friends.
Dan never married and had no children. Dan was preceded in death by parents, John E. Church Jr. and Marjorie (Peterson) Church; and brother John H. Church. Dan is survived by brothers, George (Debbie) Church, David (Michelle) Church; sisters, Julie (Bob) Steele and Judy (Ken) Towner; and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. His "adopted" brother and lifelong friend Rod Sanborn also survives him.
A graveside service will be held at Doss Cemetery in Mossy Rock, Wash., on Jan. 21, 2022, at 1 p.m. A celebration of life will follow at Jeremy's Farm To Table restaurant in Chehalis, Wash.
