Owen Keith Daniels

Oak graduated in 1946 from Muskegon Heights High School and served in the Army Air Force as a radio operator and ground approach control until 1949. Oak then used his G.I. Educational Benefits to attain his Bachelor’s degree Business Management with a minor in Economics from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating in 1953. Oak eventually went on to attain a Master’s in Business Management from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1968, attending night classes while raising a family. From a credit investigator with Dun and Bradstreet, an auto assembly line inspector in California, and an employment manager in Indiana, Oak came back to Muskegon in 1955 as the Director of Human Resources with Bennett Pump Company until 1983. Oak was not finished with working yet! He then worked with Muskegon County, Grand Rapids Employers Association and Muskegon Employers Association in various capacities until 1986 when he accepted the position of Director of Safety, Environmental, and Loss Control with Goetze Corporation of America. In 1993, Oak retired from the 9-5 corporate world, but still kept working at his own enterprise, Eagles Unlimited.

Oak married Doris (Jeanne) Jensen in October 1957. They raised two daughters, Lorna Bradford and Melinda (Mindy) Kelley. Oak and Jeanne could be found either on the golf course, on the dance floor, or on a dance cruise to Hawaii or many exotic places around the world! Oak loved to travel and explored Japan, Okinawa, Seoul Korea, Germany, Italy, England, Alaska, and a large part of the lower 48. He always said that he wished he had traveled more. As a gifted jazz pianist and music aficionado Oak “tickled the ivories” in many bands. In fact, being in a band was how he met Jeanne, the love of his life. While performing with the jazz band, Par Four, Jeanne was in attendance and Oak got the saxophone player to introduce them and the rest is history! Oak and Jeanne were members of Samuel Lutheran Church, the Vikings, the Elks and had many friends throughout the Muskegon area from those activities and also from the many dances and dance classes they attended. In this last year he had two wonderful friends, Sunshine and Sheyenne who helped him through his grief and help bolster his faith for his reunion in heaven with Jeanne.

Preceded in death by his true love Jeanne, older brothers, Howard (Bud) Daniels, Clifford Daniels, and John Daniels, older sister, Marjorie (Peg) Sternburg, and cousin, Kenneth Lutz, Oak is survived by his younger brother, the Honorable R. Max Daniels, his daughters, Lorna Bradford and Dr. Melinda Kelley, three grandchildren, Morgan Sansbury, Ryan Taylor, and Daniel Mundy and four great grandchildren, Kale Sansbury, Madeline Sansbury, Asher Taylor, and Eden Taylor and a multitude of nephews, nieces and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, July 7, 2023 at Samuel Lutheran Church 540 Houston Avenue, Muskegon, MI 49441.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp 300 East Crystal Lake Road, Twin Lake, MI 49457.