It is with great sadness, that the family of Dan Wayne Strickland, announces his passing from this earth to his heavenly place. He passed in the early morning hours of October 14, 2022. Dan was born in Tacoma, Washington, to his parents, Jerry and Nancy Strickland. Dan surrendered his life to Jesus Christ as his Savior in 1976 and was baptized in San Antonio. Dan graduated from San Angelo Lakeview High School in 1982 where he played Varsity basketball. He attended Angelo State University where he studied mathematics, finance, and computer science. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree.
Dan’s professional career was wholly encompassed by working as a computer programmer. His first job, for which he was employed for six years, was with Raytheon Technologies Corporation, an aerospace and defense company. During Desert Storm, Dan was one of the employees contracted on the PAVE PAWS project, by the United States Government. Even though his job duties and the information he gleaned were classified, Dan’s computer programming skills were invaluable. Dan was extremely proud to be of service to our Country during war time, as the PAVE PAWS radar site, is a United States Air Force Station which detected missile threats. Though he was a civilian, his service aided our American servicemen and citizens. He then went on to work for Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries for twenty-two years programming vital Creel Data and other programs. During his time with Inland Fisheries, Dan completed advanced computer courses in SAS Computer Programming and became state certified as a SAS Platform Administrator, being only one of four individuals in the state of Texas with this certification at the time. His SAS programs gained state, national, and international attention as he was a State Agency SAS Representative Speaker across the nation introducing the vital statistical data programs of this particular system. This computer system fascinated Dan because of its statistical and fiscally advanced data information that aided both state and national government agencies, as well as, major companies and corporations. His programs are now used by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the State Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Comptroller’s Office, and the Texas Education Agency. He finished his career at the Texas Education Agency in Austin, Texas.
In 2003, Dan was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer, and received treatment at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. During his 19-year battle with cancer, he underwent a stem cell transplant and an aggressive chemotherapeutic treatment – with his last chemotherapy round being three years ago. Though never in remission, his cancer remained stable for the past three years. When diagnosed in 2003, Dan was told by his physician that the statistic of a patient under the age of forty with multiple myeloma was one in a million. His response to that was, “Well, you know, I always did think I was special!” This is the positive attitude that Dan possessed then and all throughout the 19 years of such painstaking physical distress on his body from the chemo, the stem cell transplant, the peritoneal dialysis, the hemodialysis, and his most recent diagnosis of ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The ALS, which Dan was diagnosed with a few days prior to his passing, caused him to lose over 100 pounds in the past year, caused fluid retention in his lungs, respiratory failure, and several other debilitating ailments. When people commented about his positive attitude throughout all these medical challenges, Dan used that opportunity to share the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He continued his quest to share Christ to people even up to the last few hours of his life on earth. He was primarily only surrounded by medical staff since he had been hospitalized off and on from July to October, but he shared Jesus with each of them. At his direction, as the head of our household, Dan asked Lauren and I to join him in using M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, as our Mission field, specifically when he was first diagnosed with Cancer. Dan taught Lauren, when she was only six years old, to pray over Christian pamphlets and place them on M.D. Anderson’s lobby tables. Dan made the conscious effort to always speak to people while waiting in the lobby and praying for an opportunity to share the hope and salvation that only Jesus can provide. Dan was a Godly man, husband, father, son, brother, and friend. His testimony and witness will continue to live here on earth though his body is in Heaven. Additionally, Dan enjoyed a wide array of hobbies throughout his lifetime which included: fishing, rattlesnake hunting, renovating properties, learning new languages, playing poker, deconstructing, and reconstructing computers, and collecting antiques – specifically, searching for the gem in the rough with both his wife and daughter. Dan married the love of his life of 34 years, Maria Senatore Strickland. Their marriage was greatly blessed by the birth of their beautiful daughter, Lauren Mirelle Strickland.
Dan is survived by: his wife, Mrs. Maria Senatore Strickland; his daughter, Lauren Mirelle Strickland; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Strickland; his sister, Susan Strickland; his brother, Lee Strickland; his Mother-in-Law, Mrs. Maria N. Senatore; and several dear aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is also survived by several members of his wife’s family which he dearly loved. He has many cherished friends too numerous to name and considered himself blessed to have had so many faithful
Prayer Warriors.
Services are pending at this time.
Family and friends may share condolences at www.harper-funeralhome.com.
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