Dan English

Dan H. English, born September 4, 1947, in Bryan, Ohio, passed away on May 25, 2012, in Lansing, Michigan, after a 20-month battle with cancer. Dan was the son of Dale and Rosie (Frank) English of Ney, Ohio. Dan was a 1965 graduate of Fairview High School, where he was active in many sports, including track, cross-country, baseball and basketball. He married Myra Grandey in 1965. Dan was a graduate of Defiance College, where he majored in history, and Saint Francis College, where he earned a Master of Science in Education in May of 1977. He began his career as a teacher at Antwerp High School, where he was also the boys' basketball coach. He spent most of his career as a special education teacher at Fairview High School, where he was the varsity girls' basketball coach. While at Fairview, Dan received numerous coaching awards at the state and district level, including Division III coach of the year multiple times, achieving over 400 career wins, and a State Championship for Division III girls in 1989. Dan did not measure himself by his success on the basketball court. His passion for coaching and teaching was driven by his desire to motivate kids to maximize their potential. His greatest sense of accomplishment came when he would learn that he played a role in inspiring, guiding or pushing one of his players or students to achieve something that he or she didn’t think was possible. Dan’s sense of humor was ever present, even in the most difficult of times. It is what his grandchildren will remember most: his constant jokes, vocabulary lessons, and always finding the right way to give a life lesson through exaggeration and sarcasm. Dan is survived by his mother, Rosie English, his wife, Myra (Grandey) English, a son, Brian (Cristin) English, a daughter, Kacee (Joe) Reid, both of East Lansing, Michigan, and six grandchildren, Erin English, Sara English, Rachel Reid, Leah Reid, Brianna English and Joseph Reid IV. Also surviving are one brother, Randy (Julie) English, of Defiance, Ohio, and two sisters, Sue (Alan) Bowers and Joni (Kreg) Culler, both of Ney, Ohio. Dan was preceded in death by his father, Dale English. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Hospice of Lansing. The family would like to extend its appreciation to the staff of Hospice, whose care allowed Dan to live on his terms during the last eight months. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 29, 2012, from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Krill Funeral Home, 860 West Mulberry Street, Bryan, Ohio. The family will receive visitors at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at Sonrise Community Church, Ney, Ohio. Services will follow at 11:00 A.M.