Daniel Fredrick Cunliffe was born to Fred B. and Elizabeth A. (Rate) Cunliffe on May 21, 1950 in Helena, Montana.
He passed from this life at St. Peters Health in Helena on February 11, 2019 after a courageous struggle against a long illness.
Dan was caring and compassionate. He enjoyed the Tour Train in the summer, a nice slice of carrot cake after a good meal and visits from the people he held dear. He loved pictures of his family, his friends, music, and writing letters with assistance from friends.
He enjoyed the First Lutheran Church and its pastor – Lowell Bartels.
He is survived by: his cousin, Karen Hasselbrink of Salida, Colorado; mentor, friend, and care-giver, Ginny Heinert of Helena and numerous cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, uncles and aunts.
A memorial service is planned for late spring or early summer at the First Lutheran Church. Others who miss him may make memorial contributions to West Mont, 2708 Bozeman Avenue, Helena, Montana.
liz Tobel says
Oh Dan, I am so sorry to hear of your passing. You were such a joy in my art class. Fly free.
Glen J Cuchine says
Dan, your smile and wonderful sense of joy will remain an inspiration to me always. You were always one of the bright stars in a sometimes dreary world…rest in peace, my friend. To those you left behind; my deepest condolences. May Danny’s sense of life and his joy in living be your guiding light as you and I move forward together.
Rosalie Walsh says
To Dan’s family: I was one of Dan’s teachers in the late 1970’s at Progress, Inc., a day-training program for DD adults in Helena. Dan was a delight. What he loved most and worked to earn point for during his breaks was to have someone read to him from Time and Newsweek magazines—in particular, articles focused on national politics. We made sure to register Dan to vote and he was better informed politically than most of the people I knew. I remember our clients watching a Christmas TV program at Progress, and during a commercial break Dan remarked, “There’s Tip O’Neill—he’s the Speaker of the House.” Sure enough, there was Tip O’Neill on the TV. Dan often talked about political issues of the day that affected the developmentally disabled because he knew they affected him personally. What a guy! You have my condolences on the loss of someone very special.
dan roemmich says
awesome guy RIP
Karen Hasselbrink says
In spite of a lot of hard times Dan remained upbeat and caring of others. He lived by this quote from an unknown author. “Kind words and actions can seem so small but their effects are truly endless.” February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day and at West Mont it will be Dan Cunliffe Day. Everyone is going to be kind to one another and get along. Thank you Ginny for making this so.