Surrounded by his wife and three children, Daniel J. Schleppe passed away peacefully from complications of a stroke Monday, September 30, 2019 while on holiday visiting family in Vancouver, B.C.
The oldest of five children, Dan was born April 17, 1939 in Kelowna, B.C., Canada. During Dan’s youth, his family moved to Trail, B.C., where he graduated high school. Upon graduation, Dan attended Notre Dame College in Nelson, B.C. and then transferred to Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. At both universities, Dan played competitive ice hockey. Upon graduation, his first job was as a plant accountant with Boise Cascade in Walla Walla, Wash. Later, Dan was one of the four founding principles to acquire the Wholesale Office Products Division of Boise Cascade, which became Associated Stationers.
Dan considered himself fortunate to have married the love of his life and his high school sweetheart, Margaret (Marg) Ferguson, who was born and raised in Trail. Together, Dan and Marg successfully navigated a 59-year marriage that began in Spokane and took them to many cities across the country with their last move taking them to Atlanta, Ga. All of these moves and promotions provided for better opportunities for his family but took Dan and Marg further away from their homeland of Trail. In 1998, Dan and Marg retired to Amelia Island, Fla.
Dan really enjoyed traveling with Marg on annual cross-country adventures visiting with friends and family. Dan was an avid golfer and had long-standing relationships with an amazing group of friends, whom he cherished.
Dan leaves behind his beloved wife of 59 years, Margaret; sisters, Elaine Bertuzzi (Luigi), Louise Simpson (Ron), and Violet Schleppe; brother, Michael Schleppe (Carmen); and his three wonderful children, Kathy Crenshaw, Laura Floyd, and Steven Schleppe. Kathy (Jeff) has two daughters, Abigail (Stephen) and Elizabeth, and Laura (Rob) has two sons, Pat and Nick.
While Dan was known as an established businessman, his family and close friends know how immensely important family was to Dan. His marriage with Marg proved to be an inspirational example and solid foundation for his children to learn from as they established lives of their own. His family was everything to him, and he never missed an opportunity to share how much he loved his family and to tell each member how proud he was of them.
A Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 25, 2019 at St. Michael Catholic Church of Amelia Island. There will be a gathering in the Parish Hall immediately following the service.