Dan was born Oct. 14, 1955, in Omaha, Nebraska, the youngest son of the late Joseph and Alice (Vail) Craney. As the family's "bonus baby," Dan was deeply loved by his older sister and brother, Barb and Mike.
He grew up in Bellevue, attending Bellevue High School. After graduating, he met the love of his life, Cinda (Timmins) Craney and they married in April of 1978. Dan spent time working in the trades before attending the University of Nebraska at Kearney to pursue a teaching degree. He went on to dedicate 40 years to public education as a shop teacher.
He coached his sons, along with many other students, in wrestling. While he initially took on coaching for a little extra income, it quickly evolved into a lifelong passion and many family vacations were planned around wrestling camps and tournaments.
Dan was a proud husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Cinda; sons Ben (Kim Dunning) and Alex (Julia LaHood); granddaughters Audrey, Mae and Billie; sister Barb (Don Van Wassenhoven); brother Mike Craney; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He loved nothing more than hosting holidays, firing up the smoker and grill in the “man-cue” and bringing his family together.
A true civic servant who loved his community, Dan was incredibly proud to live in Springfield, where he served on the City Council for over 15 years. He was also a dedicated member of the Knights of Columbus and an active member of his parish. His deep faith guided him and brought him comfort in his final days.
His humor and kindness were unmatched, and to know him was to love him. Dan was an incredibly selfless, loving, curious and determined person with a positive spirit — an unstoppable force until the very end.
He passed away on June 19 in the home he built, surrounded by the family he made. He will be deeply missed.
Memorials to: Springfield Volunteer Fire Department, Springfield City Parks or St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
