***UPDATED SERVICE INFORMATION DUE TO WEATHER***
Daniel Neil Fleming was born on January 31, 1954 and entered into eternal life on January 10, 2022 at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines after a long battle with a lung disease. A funeral will be held Friday, January 14 at 2pm with a visitation one hour prior, both at Merle Hay Funeral Home, 4400 Merle Hay Road in Des Moines. The burial will take place at Chapel Hill Gardens immediately following. Masks are required for the visitation and service.
Those left to cherish his memory are his sisters, Susan Prine (Chuck Lovell) and Laura Fleming (Dean Cooke); his brother, Michael Fleming; his step-brother, Marty Blubaugh; his nieces and nephews, Jackie (Bradley) Johnson, Jacob (Ashley) Prine, Lilly Lovell, Joshua Fleming (Austin Haggerty), Tim Clark, Lenny Dunn, Michael Fleming Jr., Christina Fleming (Christian Van), Michelle (Richard) McGlothlen, Rebecca Fleming, Travis Blubaugh, Scott Blubaugh; sixteen great-nieces and nephews; along with a host of extended family and many friends he considered family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joann Blubaugh and Leonard Fleming; his stepfather Jeryle “Gene” Blubaugh; his brothers, David Fleming and Lenny Fleming; and his stepbrother, Mick Blubaugh.
Dan deeply loved his family and friends, his cats Henry and Geronimo, other animals of all kinds, spending time in God’s creation (especially mushroom hunting), and supporting worthwhile causes which focused primarily on marginalized people and mistreated animals.
Dan’s faith was foundational for him. He joined the LDS church in 1985 and was active in many ways over the years including participating in the Elders Quorum presidency, as a ward missionary for Easter Lake, a single adult’s group leader, an addiction recovery course leader, and an executive secretary to a Bishop.
Dan worked as a realtor for many years before settling on a career with the United States Postal Service. He was a proud member of the Local 44 Postal Workers Union.
Volunteering was important to Dan. He spent much of his time in service to others. Animal Lifeline of Iowa, Living History Farms, Orchard Place and Genesis Senior Living were some of his favorite organizations to gift with his time over the years.
Raising pigeons was a passion for Dan and at one point he had several hundred in his care. Ultimately, his compassion and care for his birds is what led to the lung disease that unfortunately ended his life.
Making connections with people was important to Dan and he loved to make new friends wherever he went. He never knew a stranger and he developed many strong bonds with those around him.
May we all remember Dan by laughing a little louder, loving a little harder, and serving others in the name of Jesus.
