Daniel Walter Fountaine, age 52, of Helena passed away on September 18, 2019 of natural causes. He was born on April 27, 1965, in Edmonds, WA to Walter and Donna Fountaine. He was raised and educated in Washington. Dan moved to Helena in the late 80’s where he worked several places, including selling shoes at Hennessey’s Department store. In 1993 he opened Fireside Coffee Shop on Euclid Avenue in the Seiler Center. His passion was gardening, he definitely had a green thumb and also did landscaping, mowing and planting for a number of people. Dan is survived by his Father and mother of Soap Lake, WA as well as two nephews, Tony and Deven Fountain of Everett, WA. He is predeceased by his younger brother, Tony Lee in 2014. Dan’s parents are well aware of his many friends in Helena and want to thank all of those who have reached out to express condolences since learning of his passing.
Interment will be in Edmonds, WA at a later date. No services are planned.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
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Bonnie Miles says
God bless Dan, and rest peacefully. I knew Dan from the coffee shop in Helena. A great guy !
Kori Dee says
My husband Steve & I send love and hugs to Dan’s family. What a gentle soul. We met Dan when he opened his shop in 1993. What a giving soul. I loved being greeted by his smile and gentle manner every time I walked into Fireside Coffee. The coffee shop became the welcoming gathering spot for so many prayer groups, book groups, quilting groups, study groups…the list goes on and on. Dan was also a great supporter of Artisan Dance, which was another love we shared with Dan. And last but not least, we shared a love and respect for Art Seiler. I do hope they are having a wonderful visit … blessings on Dan and his family and friends.
Carol Paulsen says
So sorry to hear about Dan. My sincere sympathy to his family. I really enjoyed visiting with him at Fireside Coffee (he made the best latte!). Dan always greeted me by name and asked if I wanted my “usual”, and inquired how the Griz were doing during football season because he knew I’m a fan. He was truly a kind and caring guy. I’m going to miss him.
Charlene Slanger says
I am so sorry to hear about Dan’s passing. I will certainly miss seeing him at his coffee shop, and I will miss his flowers. He was truly a good and caring person. He will be missed by many!
Monica Edgar says
Dan lifted the spirits of so many by his ever present joy for life… he will be dearly missed. Our entire family treasured our many visits to Fireside. Many prayers and condolences to all of his loved ones.
valerie says
I will miss Dan , his welcoming smile, his carefully individually prepared lattes, his beautiful flowers. I saw him just a few days before he passed and he gave me some mums beautiful purple mums that now bloom on my deck. He had the touch for all he did. There is a hole in our community without him.
Mary Younger says
Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to all his family! Dan was such a caring and generous soul. He always tended to my elderly mother with such great kindness when she came into the coffee shop. My entire family from across the United States treasured his friendship! 💕
Len Iwanski and Kathleen Sullivan says
We are saddened to learn of Dan’s passing. Fireside Coffee was an important part of our lives for many years, and Dan always treated us as friends. He made our West Side neighborhood a better place.
Linda says
I am one of the Knitters for Peace who frequented the Fireside 2-3 times each week. Dan welcomed us joyfully and gladly made space for our chatty but productive group. He always met me with a smile and knew exactly how I wanted my almond milk latte. I miss him deeply, as do my fellow knitters.
Jon says
I’m very sorry for your loss. Dan made great coffee and was always friendly and cheerful. I’ll miss him.
Terry says
Dan was always so kind whenever I want to his coffee place. I loved the flowers and plants he sold and our conversations about the plants. God bless his family. He will be missed.
Julie Patterson says
I first met Dan at the coffee shop; he knew his customers and took good care of them. When I had questions about plants, he was my resident expert. Dan, you are missed!
Pat Reichert says
So very sorry to hear of Dan’s passing. I too was a frequent visitor to the Fireside, living just up the road. Dan always made me smile. I loved to look at the artwork on the walls and he truly made the best lattes in town. It will be hard to fill his place in Helena. May he rest in peace.
Bev St. Cyr says
Before I moved to Nevada, I spent many hours at Fireside Coffee. Not only did I love spending time there with friends drinking my favorite cafe au laits, but Dan always allowed our Soroptimist Club to sell our fund-raising See’s Candies on the weekends during the holidays. He was a kind gentleman who made everyone feel special.
Bernie says
Dan was always so sweet. Always had a smile and I loved to make him laugh! He will leave a huge hole in Helena and in the lives of those that loved him.
Sonja Marino says
We very much miss Dan and his cheery greetings and personalized service. God bless you in your time of difficulty.
Cari says
Dan was always nice. I did not have daily, weekly, or monthly exchanges with Dan. But I thought of him often. Especially on my way to and from work admiring his outdoor display of flowers. I miss him. You raised a good son.
Kelly Downing-Keil says
Dan was a huge support of community functions and allowed me to put on a clothesline display of t-shirts decorated by Veterans. This display was in support of sexual assault awareness month. He supported this event the past few years and helped me hang the display. He was kind, generous, compassionate, smart and thoughtful. What a huge loss to our community. I know I have pictures of the display in his shop. I will post them as soon as I find them.
Terri Kunz says
Dan was a delight. He enjoyed being a host and treating people with kindness. I remember when he got a chance with Art Seiler to start that shop and I also know that despite the ups and downs of small business he smiled through it all. He was a great supporter of non-profits like SOROPTIMIST . Allowing sales of See’s Candies to support their mission. Loved his flowers, coffee and relaxed atmosphere.
I hope your memories of a good son bring you peace. Best of all his welcome home includes a “job well done”.
Blessings.
Mary Kay Bennett says
Kindness personified!
Just can’t believe he is gone.
I am so sorry! 😢
Shannon says
Dan is sorely missed in the Helena community. He was a gem!
Donna Smillie says
I am so sad to hear of Dan’s passing. Dan always made me and everyone who came to his shop feel special. For many years students from St Andrew School gathered at his coffee shop to study or just hang out. He also let us use his shop for teacher gatherings and made sandwiches for our lunch meetings. Everything he made was top quality and came with a smile. Those of us here on the west end will miss Dan! Prayers for all!
Lorretta Lynde says
Dan had a way of making everyone who walked through the doors of Fireside Coffee feel like a long-time friend. I’ve been a customer (friend) for eight-plus years, and in that time I’ve seen many acts of kindness and warmth on Dan’s part. He made people feel welcome and safe. He will be profoundly missed by many.
Deep condolences to Dan’s parents.
Ruth Ann Massey says
Dana and I always went to the Fireside every Saturday morning. She and Dan always had fun teasing each other. Dana would always ask for a coffee cup from Dan and then fill up it up with coffee. We miss Dan so much. Loved the beautiful paintings by local artists that he would put on display. Invariably I would buy plants from him, especially Poinsettias at Christmas time. He was always so pleasant. May God comfort you in this time of sorrow.
Kathie says
Gosh, just found out that Dan passed away and I am so sad that Dan is gone at such a young age. I have so many good memories of meeting my daughters once a week during middle school at the Fireside. Dan and his Fireside setting was there to help me spend special time with Callan and Tallis while they did homework. Since then, Neal and I loved dropping in to say hi and enjoy the time in a relaxed setting. Dan and his Fireside brought in so many wonderful regulars. Peace and love to Dan’s family and extended Fireside family.
Neal Blossom says
Dan and Fireside were icons on the west side of Helena. A friendly person and a relaxing place. He made a difference. He will be missed by so many.
Niki Whearty says
A person doesn’t need to be famous to change the world. Dan did it everyday with each cup of coffee or bowl of soup, always served with a smile. It is his kind of quiet optimism that has made the Fireside Coffee Shop a fine meeting and thinking place. I loved the art work that hung on the cafe walls and the green plants under the grow lights. I was a regular knitter at the Fireside. We were bound to Dan by yarn, laughter, and threads of affection. I am so lucky to have known him.
Randi Rognlie says
I’m so sad to hear Dan is gone. It was a ritual for our family to stop on our way to our cabin and treat ourselves to lattes and Italian sodas. His lunches were sooo good. But mostly I remember always seeing the peace and happiness on everyone’s faces whether they were alone reading the paper or gathering with friends. Dan provided a warm and welcoming space for everyone. Helena will miss him and so will I.
Christine says
I met Dan when I was six years old; he would have been eight. His mother was sewing Matron of Honor and Flower Girl dresses for my mom and I for an upcoming wedding and after my fittings, he and I would play. Later we were friends in grade school, junior high and high school; part of the same loose group of 10 people or so. I have so many memories; the week school was closed for snow and every day we went sledding, the roller skating party where he and I clung together all evening until we both got the hang of it and could skate side by side, my sweet 16 where I had him pick up flowers for my mom from his job at the garden center.
We lost contact for decades when he left the state. Thanks to the Fireside Facebook page, I got in touch with him two years ago and we were able to have dinner together when he was briefly in Seattle. We kept in touch with a few phone calls…the last one just three weeks before his death.
Thinking about him so much. My thoughts are with his Helena chosen family.
Ellen Bush says
Just found out about Dan when we planned a meeting there. So sad to lose a wonderful man and business in Helena. Such a comfortable place to enjoy coffee with friends
peggy holwick says
I am saddened by the news of Dan’s passing. He was such a gentle soul. His calm and kind personality, and his Fireside Coffee Shop will always remain in our fond memories of him. The Fireside was indeed a special meeting place for many in the Helena community. He meant so much to so many people. I feel fortunate to have known him. Peace to his family and his many friends.
Sarah Twm says
I’ve known Dan since shortly after he opened Fireside, when I was in high school. Even after moving away for years, whenever I went through Helena, Fireside was a MUST stop. Dan would always inquire about my family, friends we shared and myself. No matter how much time had passed. He loved and cared much for his family and friends and always expressed this with his kind spirit and light-hearted sense of humor. He is and will always be greatly loved and missed. <3 Peace be with his loved ones. <3
Lisa Yim says
I met Dan about 23 years ago… by walking into Fireside Coffee Shop. I bought a black and white cookie from his pastry display…after one bite, I told Dan that the cookie tasted exactly like the ones I use to get in Seattle…and he said that that is where he got the cookies…and that began our fun stories about Seattle…both of us being transplants from the Emerald City.
His genuine hearty greetings and conversations at his cozy home-like coffee shop will be greatly missed. His coffee house was so welcoming and sweet – that was all Dan.
Thank you Dan for being that beam of Sunshine in Helena MT. I am grateful to have met you !
Donna Mix says
Dan’s sudden death leaves a huge hole in Helena’s West Side. Fireside Coffee was our family’s go-to place, whether to meet friends passing through town, study quietly with coffee and a sandwich, get an Americano to start off a road trip, or just relax and enjoy the atmosphere. Dan’s sandwiches were delicious, his hot chocolate decadent, his iced mochas incomparable. His gorgeous planters combined flowers of every imaginable hue: we bought several each spring. Dan gladly shared his love of growing things with everyone who gave him the chance. It was especially sad when a hard freeze took the planters we got from Dan this year: no one knew they’d be his last. May Dan’s parents find comfort in knowing what a respected place Dan held in the Helena community. He’ll be missed!
Doris copenhaver says
Dan did some landscaping for me. Always did a great job in or out of the shop. What a gentle soul and sweet friend. Bless you Dan. You will be missed.
R Sibbitt MD says
Dan was always a gentleman and a pleasure to talk with daily while grabbing a coffee , always with and made by a friend. I moved to Helena in 1994 and we talked for 25 years. Dan is missed.
Morgan Maynard says
I’m so sorry. I just heard of Dan’s, way too early, passing. He always had a friendly hello and smile whenever I came in. He was a great friend to my whole family and especially to my sister, Robin Maynard; whom he promoted by selling her paintings and postcards in his shop….always kind and sincere. A real loss for the Helena community.
Mimi says
It was always a treat to go in Fireside Coffee – warm and welcoming atmosphere with delicious coffee and treats. Over a year after Dan’s after too-early death, we are still feeling the loss that was created by his passing. Dan was so generous and gracious to support The Art Center by displaying paintings by our members on the walls of Fireside Coffee. We are most grateful. Deepest condolences to Dan’s family, friends, and associates.
L. Amelia Swanson says
I was so sad to learn of Dan’s passing. I loved meeting friends at his comfy cozy place. He was so kind and created a wonderful atmosphere for all to enjoy. I think about him often—every time I drive past on Euclid. He really was a beautiful guy and put his heart and soul into his place. So sorry for your loss. Please know how much he is missed! Amelia
FJ says
Dan was a gift of kindness to life! Thank you for his presence in this world.
Carol Cameron says
Kind, gentle, caring and special are attributes ascribed to Dan as repeated over and over in the tributes above. He was a wonderful friend to my daughter Chrissy over many years in Richmond Beach and I was glad when they reconnected in later life. The world needs more decent individuals and he left us way too soon. He really was a special guy.