Obituary: Daniel Chandler

Daniel Chandler

Daniel Scott Chandler, 71, of Bozeman, Mont., a former Baker City resident, died Sept. 28, 2006, at Bozeman after a long illness.

His service will be from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Valley View Golf Club at Bozeman, Mont. Dokken Nelson Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Dan was born on May 6, 1935, at Baker City to Orville and Bell Armstrong Chandler. He attended the Muddy Creek Grade School. He graduated from high school at North Powder where he played all-state football. He earned a degree in agricultural education from Oregon State University at Corvallis.

He met and married Nancy Kirsch in 1957 and began teaching high school near Portland, where their first two children, Nola and Doug, were born. In 1960, the family moved to Bozeman where his daughters, Nyla and Nedra, were born.

He received a master's degree in mathematics from Montana State University at Bozeman and taught algebra, geometry and calculus at Bozeman Senior High.

Dan and Nancy divorced in 1966.

In 1974, Dan met and later married Mary Ken Wellcome, with whom he happily shared the rest of his life. Mary Ken's three sons, Jim, Bill and John, became part of his family.

During these years, Dan began programming computers and working at Montana State University where he eventually retired as director of the testing service.

Dan had a great enthusiasm for life and approached everything with single-minded passion. He had an unusual ability to fully focus on his current obsession, whether it be skiing, hunting, computer programming, golf or family.

Dan helped pioneer the Little Alps Ski Hill that briefly existed on Antelope Mountain near the family ranch. He taught skiing at Sun Valley and Hoodoo Bowl and later coached the alpine ski team at Bozeman Senior High. He was an accomplished powder skier and was featured on many early Bridger Bowl posters and brochures. He loved competition and won some of the local figure-eight contests.

Dan was an avid outdoorsman. He shared his lifelong love of hunting with his son and they enjoyed many memorable weekends in the Montana mountains and prairies. His love of the outdoors lives on in all of his children.

In the early 1970s, Dan discovered computers and jumped into programming with both feet. While working for the Bozeman Public Schools and MSU, he developed testing, grading and scheduling programs. After retirement, he helped develop the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks hunting license point-of-sale system and a program studying regression analysis of stock markets.

Perhaps his greatest obsession was golf, which he discovered at the age of 50. He pursued the sport with his usual enthusiasm and zeal. He and Mary Ken were members of Valley View Golf Club where they developed many treasured friendships. Dan was a hardy golfer and was often the first out in the cold spring weather. He was commonly sighted on the course during early fall blizzards.

"We will miss Dan's inimitable character, his courage of convictions, his jokes and limericks, his steady presence and his unwavering affection for his family and friends," his family said.