Women's Wednesday: Remembering Brian Daniels

I am fortunate to have known an amazing man by the name of Brian Daniels; a man who touched the lives of so many, who could make anyone smile just from his presence.

On Monday, Brian died quietly after suffering from a long illness.

Brian was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in late 2015, which ultimately took his life Monday afternoon. Even towards the end, he remained in good spirits, and today we will honor that good spirit. Instead of being sad or angry, we will remember Brian as the funny, good-hearted, occasional goofball that he was.

Most people are aware that Brian was a beloved coach at Christoval High School. Former student Julie Arango stated, "My fondest memory of Coach Daniels is him always giving my friends, Sterling, Faryn, and me a hard time about us always being together. If he saw two or one of us without the other(s), he would act like it was the strangest thing ever. Then he would ask if we were okay since the other 'triplet,' as he called us, wasn't with us."

Julie added, "More recently, before he became ill, any time I saw him out and about, he would always tell me to make sure I was keeping 'that boy' [Austin Clark] in line."

Simone Brooks had the pleasure of knowing Brian for the last five years of his life. Having also lost her father to cancer, this loss was all too familiar. However, she remembers Brian as the kind-hearted inspiration that he was.

"Brian will never be too far from those he loved and the lives he touched," she said. "He always held great words of wisdom and never let a sad face stay sad for long. Every time I saw him, he was always smiling, and no matter what happened during the day, he always made it better. I always received words of encouragement whether or not I realized I needed it. He always had such great faith in me, even when I didn't; and that meant more to me than anything. I know he was there if I ever needed anything, and I admired not only his faith and good-hearted nature, but also his strength. He never knew it, but I hope he does now, just how much he guided and helped me steer my life in the direction I needed to go."

Drema Neves helped organize the benefit for Brian, which was held last month at Blaine's Pub and raised over $100,000. Organizing benefits is how she actually came to know him.

"I relied heavily on Brian to get the bands for the Brianna Aguillon benefit; he was amazing." stated Drema. "He would always say 'It's going to be great, just relax,' because planning a benefit is far from relaxing. After that, we just clicked. I met his wife and kids and fell in love with their spirit and goodness. I love seeing the good in people, and that was the definition of Brian and his family. When we planned the Korby Kennedy benefit, Lauren [Daniels] and I had to be separated. Brian thought we laughed and giggled too much. From those who knew him for 30+ years, to knowing him for only a short time, you couldn't help but love him. His spirit, kindness, smile, and laugh - they were all infectious."

Lifelong friend Mickey Romero said, "We became friends in elementary school, and I remember him playing with cars in the dirt. I went up to him and started playing with those Hot Wheels. At the end of recess, he gave me one and said 'We can play again tomorrow.' From such a young age, he was always giving."

Traci Harvey stated that she pushed Brian's son, Brice Daniels to “get up on that stage for the very first time at Party Ranch.” She explained, “From then on, I became close to the entire family. Brian became one of my best friends as I was going through some of the toughest times of my life. He would do anything for anybody, even a total stranger. He left us with big shoes to fill. We all need to be more like Brian Daniels.”

Brice Daniels' former bass player, David Bolin, said that Brian was one of the best men he had ever known.

"From the minute I was recruited for a one time show in the band, I was treated like family," he stated. "He would have given the shirt off of his back to anyone in need. He is truly going to be missed by so many. I will cherish our friendship forever."

My husband Scott was a member of Brice's band for a short while, and he recalled the time when he first knew that Brian was an exceptional person.

“I was only with the band for a couple of weeks and I was suppose to show up for a practice,” Scott explained. “I had taken the new boat I had just bought out on a test run, but it broke down on me. I called Brian to tell him that I wouldn't be able to make band practice. About 20 minutes later, Brice and Brian were unloading their boat to come rescue me. They went well out of their way just to help a guy that they barely knew at the time.”

Lastly, I would like to recall my memories of this wonderful man. I remember Brian as a protector, a “safe haven,” or fatherly figure.

I distinctly remember a time right after I had a surgery and we were at a Brice Daniels show. He made sure I had a comfortable place to sit. I never once had to get up to get a drink; he made sure that no crowds were getting too close to me so that I would not accidentally be bumped into, and he asked me many times throughout the night how I was feeling. Besides my own father and husband, nobody has ever been that genuinely concerned for my well-being, and I appreciated his kindness so much.

The last time I saw Brian was right before his diagnosis. I saw him in a public place as he was about to leave. He squeezed my hand and smiled at me, as he always did. If I had thought that might be the last time I would ever see him, I would have thought of something better to say than “See you later.”

Brian Allan Daniels, 7/6/66 - 2/15/16

May you rest in peace.