My sincere condolences to  Dan’s family on this enormous loss.  
I knew of Dan from the time he was with Foxboro however I came to know  better when he joined ExxonMobil Chemical . 
The last time I saw him was a few years back during a site visit to Imperial Oil’s refinery in Edmonton. 
Dan was a quiet man who always listened to other people’s views & then folllowed up
on the action steps to be taken.  I surely miss him as a friend & a colleague.
MHSRIP.
Suru

I first met Dan when I joined ExxonMobil in 2012. During a technology presentation about a month after I hired into the analyzer engineering group, Dan shared a picture of 3 black lab puppies that were abandoned on his doorstep. Dan asked if I wanted to come meet the puppies, he said he could tell I was a fellow animal lover! My husband and I ended up taking one of the puppies (we named him Barley) and Dan & Michelle kept one (Louie)- and from then on Dan & Michelle held a very special place in our heart. Over the years we shared stories and pictures of our dogs and always agreed that our dogs made our families whole. Throughout my career at ExxonMobil, Dan was not only a friend but a mentor as well. He enjoyed giving career advice, talking shop about analyzers, and helping me navigate organizational challenges. I will forever remember Dan as a kind soul who loved his career, his colleagues, animals, his family, and his dear wife Michelle. Rest in peace Dan, I was lucky to have known you.

I had the privilege to work with Dan when I joined the GCGV project back in 2018. I have very good memories of our collaboration, especially during the analyzers FATs in Houston, and of course during the commissioning and start-up of the chemical plant in Corpus Christi. Dan was a great co-worker, always positive, willing to coach, and mentor others. It is with great sadness that I learned of his passing. My condolences and support to his family and loved ones.

Au revoir l'ami, repose en paix.

Dan and I crossed paths on occasion over the years in technical society meetings, then really got to know each other in the fall of 2001 when I interviewed for a position at ExxonMobil Chemical.  Ordinarily in a job interview, the interviewer will describe the company’s values, work processes, and the like.  But Dan’s approach was different.  When describing ExxonMobil to me, he was all about the people who worked there.  He said “We have great people in the online analyzer discipline at ExxonMobil.”  He named several of them from around the world.  The fact that he considered that the most important thing to tell me about ExxonMobil told me a lot about Dan.  His colleagues meant everything to him.

I worked for ExxonMobil from shortly after that until I retired in 2019.  Dan was a tireless worker.  And people were important to him, as I had seen in my interview with him.  During the years that he served as the coordinator of our online analyzer network at ExxonMobil, Dan took pride in saying that he had met, and even had dinner with, every member of our network.

Dan was a great friend.  He will be sorely missed.  Godspeed, my friend.

I had the privilege of hiring Dan into Exxon Chemical and the pleasure of working with him for more than 15 years thereafter. I very much respected his technical knowledge, his professionalism, and his "can do" attitude when asked to tackle the most complex problems. I always enjoyed his dry sense of humor and admired his dedication to his family, friends, and colleagues. I know he leaves a lasting impression on everyone with whom he crossed paths. We will all miss him very much.  Godspeed Dan.

Hello this is Gloria Jean Podkulski!!! My dad was Edward Joseph Podkulski, older brother to Uncle Danny !! Uncle Danny and Aunt Anne did visit my father and mother in Buffalo many years ago!! Sorry for your loss!! He sounds like a very accomplished, happy, successful individual!!!  My brother Michael Podkulski forwarded the obituary to me and our sister Jacslyn!! Michael retired as an Electrical Engineer from I believe MOOG!!
Sorry we never met as cousins !!!

I had met Dan when he worked at Foxboro and Chevron at various ISA-AID meetings around the country.  When we were hiring an Analyzer Engineer at the Exxon Chemicals Plant in Baytown, and I heard Dan was interested, I told the recruiting managers he would be perfect for the job.
Over the next 20 years while I worked with Dan, he impressed me with his tireless energy and devotion to doing the best possible job.  I would call him in the morning and get his answering machine, always updated daily with the date and his availability.  I tried calling earlier and earlier and his machine was always already updated.  Who does that? 
Dan volunteered to pitch in on any project, often taking on the most onerous task.  He was a team player and became a great leader of our Analyzer Network.   He knew everyone in the analytics community and worked to promote technical advances.  
His sense of humor was always refreshingly present, frequently easing tensions after a long day by his “observations”.   During his playful moods in the late afternoon, he would frequently IM me and include a title or verse  from a rock song in his message.  I would respond similarly, and we would keep it going until we ran out of material.
Dan did everything in a big way, whether it was his work, his gliding, his gardening, or spending time with his family and friends.  He was always there to pitch in and lend a hand, and the happiness that he brought to everyone will be sorely missed.

I first met Dan in the Baytown Chem Plant and then later we were colleagues in Chemical Core Engineering.  Dan was a fine person, friend and engineer.   I am very sorry to hear of his passing.

Dan has been our wonderful neighbor for decades, his lawn was impeccable, immaculate, and truly beautiful appreciated by all.   When my family member saw Dan's lawn they commented "it looks like a scene from a Disney movie plants. flowers trees birds and small animals everywhere it is so nice."  Dan and his lovely wife Michelle would always be seen together sharing their passion for gardening they seemed so devoted to each other so glad they found one another.  He always would keep watch of our house as well as the street .  Dan had a strong sense of community the kind of rare neighbor you would want to have.  He will be missed  .

Dan and I worked together from 2002 starting at the ExxonMobil Baytown Chemical Plant. He engineered Analyzers and I engineered the systems that made their data useful. We both transitioned to Chemicals CORE Engineering joining the greatest group of automation engineers ever. We both then went to EMRE and after a few years Dan went to a large project. After retirement, Dan an I would meet at 3Bs in Kingwood to catch up on things. We also traded YouTube videos and articles on the engineering of the SR-71 wondering why we can’t build things like that today when the engineers that did it only had slide rules. I shall miss him.

So sorry to hear of Dan's passing. He was my cousin & I remember  many of the trips he made (with his siblings and parents and also later in life) to visit us here in Buffalo, dating way back to when we were kids.  Back in his days attending University of Minnesota, he was into soccer & on one of his trips here, he asked me to play goalie using my aunt Jenny's clothesline pole as the goal posts. He kicked the ball so hard & fast, it hit me square in the face & knocked me on my back.  Being 6 years younger,  I thought that had to be the hardest anybody could strike a soccer ball.  I think that was the point I got the vibe he was a tough hombre and a good dude.  I also went on to get my degree in chemical engineering and eventually reached out  to Dan for some technical advice on stack testing when I was starting out on my career for Westinghouse at the nuclear facility.   I remember on some of his solo trips here to Buffalo, he was into bike riding & would go for these long, fast, rides. I went once and only once. The reason: I was embarrassed because I couldn't keep up with him (I was in decent shape at the time and had to blame the bike of course).  Another time, we caught a Blues/Sabres game together with our cousin Rich Podkulski & had a great time.  Often on his trips to Buffalo, my mom would have Dan over for dinners & I remember him saying that was one of his favorite things he looked forward to when he came to town. God bless and may he rest in eternal peace.

I was a colleague of Dan for many years in our late, great EM Chemical Core Engineering organization. Dan was an affable teammate and a highly regarded engineer. We worked successfully together on a number of leadership activities. Dan was always considered one of the good guys. He’ll be sorely missed.

My path first crossed with Dan’s in 2021 during an ExxonMobil project in Corpus Christi, where we found ourselves sharing a trailer office. I arrived as the eager young engineer still finding my footing, while Dan brought the wisdom and steady presence of a seasoned professional. What began as a working relationship quickly blossomed into a friendship that would endure far beyond our time in that small room.
Dan’s kindness was immediate and unwavering. Within those trailer walls, we shared countless conversations that ranged from the technical challenges of our work to the deeper currents of life itself. He possessed that rare ability to listen with genuine interest and offer guidance without judgment—qualities that transformed a temporary workspace into a place of real connection.
When our project concluded and we inevitably went our separate ways, Dan remained a constant in my life. He became the person I turned to when faced with difficult career decisions, always offering perspective grounded in experience and care. Our friendship evolved and we began meeting regularly for lunch, often joined by our wives, where conversations flowed effortlessly between the demands of work and the joys of life—cooking adventures, family stories, and our shared passion for music.
In Dan, I found more than a colleague or even a friend; I discovered a mentor whose influence shaped not just my career but my character. His absence leaves a profound void, and I will carry forward the lessons he taught me, both spoken and lived. The memory of his generosity, wisdom, and unwavering friendship will remain a treasured part of my life.

Beautful memorial to a wonderful person and friend. I will miss our frequent conversations, e-mails and texts. Rest in peace dear friend.
Michael Wilson

As Danny’s youngest of three sisters, I thought Danny was a TALL and FORMIDABLE FORCE. As we matured, he was still tall but he let me see his inner giggle. He knew I loved him because I would allow an hour when he called. After the 50 minute monologue regarding “analyzers”, jazz, Turkey, and a number of other subjects, we would get to the matter at hand, which involved assuring each other we were happy. Each call ended with “I love you”.

OBITUARY

Daniel Edward Podkulski

March 3, 1958 – June 14, 2025

Kingwood Funeral Home

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