Obituary of Dan Dansenburg

At the age of 72, Dan Dansenburg passed away on January 29, 2021 due to complications of the Covid-19 virus. He always loved sunshine, and spent the last 13 years of his life relaxing in retirement in sunny Lake Havasu City, Arizona. When he was born January 6, 1949 in Wichita, KS, Dan was welcomed by his sister, Susan, and his parents George Lee Dansenburg and Betty Colleen (Kelly) Dansenburg. His nickname from a young age was “Danny,” although his given name was George Lee Dansenburg, Jr. which, eventually, he legally changed to Dan Dansenburg. As a child, Dan participated in church, Boy Scouts, and especially liked fishing, camping, and being outdoors. He loved dogs, excelled in practical jokes, and was always very fun loving. At age 16, he attended a square dance exhibition in Seattle, WA where he met some teenage dancers. The chance encounter was the impetus for him to join “The Mavericks.” Because Dan’s parents were avid square dancers, they were thrilled when Dan participated in several international dance competitions. Upon graduation from Renton High School, Dan enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He spent 9 months at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey, CA. The program for which he became fluent in Indonesian was disbanded, so he was sent to Personnel Training School at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS. On June 24, 1969 he married Donna Sedenquist, and they moved to an apartment halfway between Gulfport and Biloxi. Six weeks later, they survived hurricane “Camille,” the worst hurricane to hit the continental United States. The wind gauge broke at 200mph. After receiving his credentials as a Human Resources Specialist, Dan was stationed at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, MT and then sent to serve at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon. After 5 months in wartime VietNam, Dan volunteered for a transfer to Thailand for 8 months. He was also stationed for a year in Merced, CA and 3-1/2 years in Zweibrucken & Ramstein, Germany. His daughter was born in Landstuhl, Germany, and 2 years later his son was born in Seattle, WA. Dan left the Air Force after serving 7 1/2 years in order to complete his college education. After earning a BA and MA in Business from the University of Washington, Dan’s work life was primarily Human Resources for PACCAR, Inc., Duninger Engineering, and The Boeing Company. His leisure activities included genealogy, computing, traveling, racquetball and bicycling. Dan enjoyed watching his children at their various activities: piano, choral, dance, band, magic, acting. He especially loved taking the kids waterskiing, camping, hiking, and playing in the ocean. Both his parents and brother-in-law, Eric Campbell, preceded Dan in their transition to the afterlife. He is survived by many relatives including sister, Susan (Dansenburg) Campbell, former wife, Donna (Sedenquist) Dansenburg and their children, Gary Dansenburg, and Heidi (Dansenburg) North, son-in-law, Matt North, 3 incredible grandchildren: Tyler, Kyle, Rose, and cousins, nieces and nephews. Dan will be interred at Tacoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA near his parents’ final resting place. Private family services will be held at a later date. Services were entrusted to the care of Lietz Fraze Funeral Home. Thoughts and condolences can be sent to the family at www.lietz-frazefuneralhome.com. To send a free card, go to www.sendoutcards.com/lietzfraze.