Joseph Daniel "Dan" Eash

Joseph Daniel "Dan" Eash, 59, went peacefully to the Lord on Monday February 3, 2014 with his family by his side, after a five-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's Disease, the man who founded the Fort Wayne Men's Senior Baseball League for players age 30 and older, he was a sales engineer and retired from Pro-Systems in 2011.

Because he graduated from Bishop Dwenger in 1972, the year before the team started, Eash never played organized baseball from age 12 until he was 38. Then he was the one doing the organizing, and more than 1,000 players have participated in the FWMSBL.

``We tell the younger players coming in, if it wasn't for that man right there, you guys wouldn't have a chance to play,'' his friend Jim Shovlin said.

Always known for his strong handshake, Eash first noticed a problem in 2008 while practicing to play in the Senior League World Series.

``I love playing baseball,'' he said in 2009. ``I love playing with the guys I play with. I don't want any special treatment. I just want to be Dan Eash playing baseball, and that's good enough for me.''

The Northeast Indiana Baseball Association honored Eash with the Colin Lister Award in 2010, given for "dedication to the game of baseball and its historic legacy." Eash was inducted into the Men's Senior Baseball League Hall of Fame in Phoenix in 2009. Eash was just the third Indiana player inducted into the hall after Shovlin and Jim Tanner of Terre Haute. The local FWMSBL also named its Most Valuable Player Award after Eash.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Alyce. He had four children; Melyssa, Christopher (Megan), Sarah (fiance Jemale), and Megan, and ten grandchildren; Isaac, Lj, Amira, Amaya, Isabel, Sienna, Dominick, Roma, Ezra, and Jonah. His parents also survive, Robert and Dolores (Gus) Eash. He was preceded in death by two brothers, granddaughter Norah, and Megan's fiance, Damian Miller II.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM Friday February 7, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 1502 East Wallen Road, Fort Wayne, with calling one hour prior. Calling will also be held Thursday February 6, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 PM, at Hockemeyer & Miller Funeral home, 6131 St. Joe Road, Fort Wayne, with a Rosary service at 3:30 PM. Burial will be in Sweet Cemetery, Albion. Memorial donations may be given to the ALS Foundation, or the Men’s Senior Baseball League.