Richard Daniel Mehus, age 62, of Boulder

Early on the morning of September 15, Richard Daniel Mehus departed this world and began a new journey.  When he left, he was at home, surrounded by the loved ones who survive him and carry his legacy: his wife, Stephanie Mehus; his two children, Micah Mehus and Meghan Pallister; his daughter-in-law and son-in-law, Anita Mehus and Casey Pallister; and his six beloved grandchildren, Jayden, Hunter, Nohla, Ian, Reed, and Zinnea.

Dan fought hard to remain in this world with those he loved, but when he departed he did so with a smile upon his face.  It was the same smile that he had when he saw his grandchildren, when he felt the breeze in his hair on a Harley ride, or when he saw an eagle in flight.  It was a smile that warmed the hearts of his family.  It was a smile of a contented man.  And, in the end, it was a smile that symbolized a life well-lived.

Dan was born in Helena on November 25, 1950 to Hilmore and Adeline Mehus.  The Mehus’s allowed Dan the freedom to explore the world and follow his conscience, and in that time of self-discovery the seeds of Dan’s personality took root.  He spent many happy days peddling his bike through the Helena valley with his friends, many of who continued to be close to him decades later.  Loving parents and close friends helped instill in Dan a sense of selflessness that persisted throughout his life.  A friend of more than fifty years, Mike Clow, recalled how Dan’s friendship and sense of humor gave him a daily recharge that helped him survive the challenges of high school.

In fact, one of the greatest qualities Dan possessed was an amazing sense of humor and a quick wit.  His seemingly endless array of comical voices, his impromptu dance routines, his jokes, and his one-liners often had his wife and family laughing until their sides hurt.  Some might say that Dan just did not take life seriously enough.  However, Dan’s humor was an expression of his modesty–he enjoyed making fun of himself and his imperfections.  But above all, he enjoyed sharing his smiles with others.  Once, on a blind date with fellow Helena High School student Stephanie Torgerson, Dan left his zipper down throughout the evening.  Unfortunately, this was not a joke so much as one of his “imperfections.”  Thankfully, Stephanie forgave his “wardrobe malfunction,” eventually married him, and continued to remind him to “zip up” for years to come.  They celebrated their fortieth anniversary just a few weeks before Dan’s passing.

As an older man, Dan continued to share his passion for life with all who knew him.  With so many fond memories of childhood, Dan always loved helping the children in his life enjoy the curiosity and wonderment of youth.  With his own children and grandchildren, Dan demonstrated a steadfast patience and love that few of us could replicate.  He was also a positive presence in the lives of many other young people.  In Basin, where his family lived for 27 years, some kids referred to him as “Papa Dan.”  And even thirty years later, Dan recalled many fond memories of his time as a Camp Counselor for the YMCA.  As he would describe his time canoeing and hiking, it was clear that he was as pleased with experiencing the joy of the young people he guided as he was with the beauty of the world around him.

In fact, Dan devoted his life to helping those who needed his help most.  He loved working as a caregiver–with children, senior citizens, and for thirty-two years with disabled persons at Montana Developmental Center.  For many of us, Dan’s commitment to others would have simply been too taxing, too tiring.  But Dan viewed everyone as fellow human beings, and he believed the individuals he worked with deserved both patience and love.  He learned that lesson early in his life, helping to care for his mother for many years before her passing.  Several years later, he did the same for his older sister and then for his father.  Dan was also the light of his younger sister’s life.  Cindy was a person of special needs, and Dan had an uncanny ability to make her smile and laugh throughout her life.  His love for her was unconditional, and that most certainly helped comfort her when she passed in 2001.  Dan was also preceded in death by Lyle Clow, a father-figure who mentored, loved, and proved an important source of strength for Dan in the years following his own father’s death.

It is easy to see that, despite Dan’s positive outlook and caring disposition, he experienced a number of losses during his life.  Perhaps it was his faith in the goodness of the world and his spirituality that helped him make sense of these tragedies.  Dan’s mother instilled in him an interest in the many spiritual practices of the world.  Among his rich collection of books, one can find works on Zen Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Native American spiritual beliefs, and many others.  Above all, Dan found strength in the commonalities he noticed among these religions–their insistence on overcoming individuality, on helping others, and on opening one’s eyes to the beauty of the world around them.  Ultimately, Dan’s spirituality was his own, crafted through study and experience and practiced in the mountains and amongst the trees in a way only he could understand.

Today, as with every day, thousands of people will pass from this world, while thousands more will enter.  How does one understand the value of an individual life in this seemingly endless expanse of humanity?  Each of us is like a single seed on a vast and sweeping prairie.  Yet on that expansive plain, as the grasses dance in the wind, is it not possible for any seed to take flight, to root in some distant place, and to change an entire landscape?  Indeed, Dan demonstrated the incredible difference a single human being can make in this world.  He demonstrated his worth not through money, possessions, or other superficialities.  Rather, he did it through love.  When all that we have is gone, and our names and faces fade from memory, it is only our roots that remain.  In time, no one will remember Dan’s name, or his face, or his story.  But they will unknowingly feel his loving kindness, a timeless quality that enriches the present and future of humankind.

Dan believed that we express our love for others through our deeds.  In that spirit, his family asks that, whether you knew Dan or not, please take the time today to love actively.  Give yourself wholly to someone: help them, listen to them, and truly see them.  Remember, as Dan did, that we only really live when we live for others.

The mystic poet Kabir once wrote, “When you are born you cry and the world rejoices.  Live your life so that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.”  Dan did . . . . . and we love him for that.

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