Dan Boatright 1961 - 2015

This past weekend we heard the news that Laila's former husband, Dan Boatright, passed away.

Dan was a fun brother in law and loved his pets so much.  Mo and Link were treated very well!  He showed me how to play Nintendo Zelda and we spent fun times playing at their house.   

It's weird, and the norm, to be family members for 12+ years and then lose touch because of a divorce.  Laila and Dan split on better terms than many but none the less, those ties were severed.

Hearing about Dan's death makes me sad about that.  He was a good person & his depression must have made life hard for him.   Rest in peace Dan.

Daniel J. Boatright

Jan 4, 1961 – Nov 28, 2015

Daniel “Dan” Boatright, 54, of Littleton, Colorado, died November 28, 2015. A celebration of his life will be held at Spirit of Christ Catholic Community, 7400 W. 80th Ave. Arvada, on Friday, December 4: Rosary at 10:30 a.m., Celebration of Mass, 11:00 a.m., followed by luncheon at the church for all. Dan was born in Denver on January 4, 1961. He graduated from Arvada West High and attended Colorado State University. Survivors include his mother, DeAnna (Dee) Scheaffer, and stepfather, Earl Scheaffer, Jr.; sister, Beth Evans (Derek), nephew, Morgan Evans; brother, Mike Boatright; stepsister, Debi Irlando and her children – Katie, Marie, Anthony and Mike; stepbrother, Rod Scheaffer (Melissa) and their children, Jon and Matt. Dan was preceded in death by his father, James F. Boatright. Dan worked most of his life in management, accounting, customer service, data analysis, and communications.  The past 4 years, he has served as a valuable member of the HomeAdvisor organization in their Customer Care Center, providing assistance to people by ensuring that their needs were being met on any home improvement project. He was highly respected.  Dan held similar jobs working with customers in various industries.  At ESM he was an educational consultant processing inbound and outbound calls for prospective students in five projects and 31 universities. He was an investment specialist for Janus Capital Group.  At Transamerica Life Insurance Company, Dan provided information to customers regarding financial services.  He was a de-conversion analyst for Great West Retirement Services, a Claims Representative for Nelnet Inc., a payables analyst for GE Capital Insurance Services, and worked with Warranty Services on a contract with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service.  Dan was especially intrigued by the principals of Total Quality Management. Dan’s interests were wide ranging.  He enjoyed hiking, biking and attending live music concerts.  He followed car racing in all different classes, but especially NASCAR.  He was a fan of UFC – Ultimate Fighter Championships (mixed martial arts competitions) and loved bike racing, closely following athletes’ progress and important races. He loved the competitive nature of sports, particularly football and golf. He was an avid reader, devouring espionage thrillers and savoring works of Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and JRR Tolkien (The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings), and greatly enjoyed going to the movies.  Dan was a self-taught expert in Texas Hold ‘em, and poker in general, and loved learning about the cutting edge of Advanced Automotive Technology.  He loved many types of games of skill that required strategic thinking.  He knew so much, about so much, and had the ability to keenly analyze and understand things, and the patience to guide others to understand along with him.  He generously shared these interests and joys with family and friends.  He treasured his pets, including his beloved schnauzer, Link, and several cats, including Willow and Milo.  He named many after fictional characters from favorite books. Dan met life’s challenges with compelling strength, notable integrity and undeniable determination. He blessed people with his warm caring nature, sincere honesty, sharp wit, kind eyes, and bright smile. His love of Our Lord was exemplified in all that he did. Dan loved his family and was dearly loved by each of us.  He committed himself heart and soul to developing a strong, nurturing relationship with his nephew, Morgan.  He was a fun-loving, compassionate, and generous brother.  He was an attentive, thought-filled and loving son. Everyone will miss his presence and companionship, but we can never forget Dan and his contribution to our lives. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dan’s honor to The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).  A contribution can be made to NIMH by sending a check or money order payable to “The National Institute of Mental Health” addressed to: National Institute of Mental Health Gift Fund 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6101, MSC 9655 Bethesda, MD 20892-9655 “A letter should be sent along with the check indicating that the donation is to be used for research and related activities at NIMH. If a contribution is to be made as a memorial, please indicate the name of the deceased, Daniel Boatright, as well as a name and address of the individual to whom an acknowledgment can be sent. All donors are acknowledged.” (Contact Dee Scheaffer for personal address.)