Daniel Lee Stalter

Daniel Lee Stalter was a man who truly had the gift of laughter. He was a talented storyteller, and loved both hearing and telling jokes. No matter where he was, Dan effortlessly brightened the lives of those around him. His happy smile, his infectious laughter, and his enthusiasm for life will be forever remembered and missed by the countless people whose lives he touched. Dan was born on May 23, 1955, to proud parents Ora Dean and Aletha E. (Ley) Stalter. Dan was the second oldest in a large family, with siblings Roger, Vicky, Jodie, Deana, Tina, Kevin, Marci, and Misty. The Stalter family lived in Shepherd, Michigan, where Dans father owned and operated a fuel oil business. Aletha did the bookkeeping for the business, and later opened her own bridal shop. Dan was an outgoing and energetic boy, who loved to be the center of attention " easier said than done, in a family of nine! As a teenager, Dan enjoyed wrestling and running cross-country for his high school. He graduated from Shepherd High in 1973, and went on to attend Michigan State University and Ferris College. One of his first jobs was working with his dad at Stalter Oil Company, where he continued to work even after it was sold to Coyne Oil. In later years, Dan was employed by the U.S. Postal Service, Shepherd Branch. He worked as a substitute mail carrier at first, finally earning himself a permanent route as a rural mail carrier after eleven years. In total, he worked for the Post Office for over 20 years. One day, not long after his graduation, Dan went on blind date that would change his life forever. His date was a young lady named Barbara Hauck, and their destination was a house party in St. Louis, hosted by Dans friend. Dan loved to dress up, and that evening he was fitted out in his finest bellbottoms, platform shoes, and white dress shirt (a little overdressed for Beal City!). Dan and Barb hit it off right away, and as the months went by they realized that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. They were married on August 16, 1975, at St. Joseph the Worker Church of Beal City. Over the years, Dan and Barb were blessed with four children: Jamie, Eric, Marty, and Alissa. Dan was a wonderful father, and worked tirelessly to provide for his family. Very intelligent himself, he loved to help his children with their homework. He could do long division in his head, but couldnt balance the checkbook! In his free time, Dan was very social, and loved getting together with friends. His outings included bowling, golfing, Euchre and other card games, and MSU sporting events. No matter what the occasion was, Dan was always the life of the party. His jokes and sarcasm kept everyone laughing, and no one could tell a story as well as he could. Although he told many jokes over the years, the joke he was best known for was his pickle-slicer joke. When they had the chance, Dan and Barb also enjoyed travelling. They often traveled to Mackinaw Island, Ludington, and St. Joe Island in Canada, and at one point made what would end up being an infamous trip to Myrtle Beach. No matter where he was, Dan always had the radio tuned to his favorite talk and sports shows. As the years went by, Dan became a proud father as well as a grandfather. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, and teased them shamelessly. Dedicated, kind-hearted, and always the life of the party, Dan Stalter was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, and a true friend. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his many friends and family members. Daniel Lee Stalter passed away in his own home on August 1, 2012, surrounded by his loving family and friends, at the age of 57. His family includes his wife of 37 years, Barb; his children, Jamie (fiance, Scott Young) Stalter of New Baltimore, Eric (Sarah) Stalter of Plymouth, Marty Stalter of Mt. Pleasant, and Alissa Stalter of Mt. Pleasant; his father, Dean (June) Stalter of Mt. Pleasant; his grandchildren, Faith and Connor Young, and Nolan Stalter; his siblings, Roger Stalter of Mt. Pleasant, Vicky (Fred) Schafer of Beal City, Jodie (Mike) Razdrh of Waynesville, NC, Deana (Tom) Simpson of Macomb, Tina Stalter of Shepherd, Kevin Stalter of Los Angeles CA, Marci (Joe) Faber of Weidman, and Misty (Chris) Purrett of Chesterfield; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Aletha Stalter; and his parents-in-law, Carl and Rita Hauck. The family will receive friends at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home on Friday, from 4-9 p.m., with the Vigil beginning at 8:30 p.m. A private funeral will be held for the family. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Sacred Heart Academy Foundation. Envelopes are available at the funeral home.