Obituary of Daniel Marvin Todorovich

Dan Todorovich was born in Walla Walla, WA, to Dan and Avis Todorovich. Serbian immigrants, the Todorovich family farmed land in College Place producing crops of Walla Walla Sweet Onions and lettuce until the mid-1950s. Dan graduated from McLoughlin High School, Milton-Freewater, OR, and Walla Walla College, College Place, WA. During school years, his talent for public speaking and acting developed through participation in Thespians, as did his popularity. For decades he wrote almost daily in his journals. He had a natural gift for and interest in languages with intense focus on English, but also including Latin, Greek, Hebrew, German, and Serbian; he also held a fascination for Korean and other Asian cultures. Dan’s love of learning and literature are being memorialized with a scholarship fund for a McLoughlin High School student. Dan served honorably in the Oregon Army National Guard and the United States Army Reserve from 1962 – 1968 achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant and recognition for excellent marksmanship. His professional careers included becoming a TV and radio personality on KUJ, K-HIT, KTEL, KLER, and KDNC; pilot, professional photographer, hotel/motel manager, lead security officer, and commercial real estate sales executive. Politically, Dan was involved in the Seattle Young Men’s Republican Club, which later became the Downtown Republican Club. He played a pivotal role in launching Dino Rossi’s political career in the 1980s by producing and directing a series of 58 weekly public television programs featuring Rossi. During the 1990s, Dan received a special award during a commendation ceremony from the King County Sheriff’s Department in recognition of his outstanding proactive efforts in support of law enforcement to clean-up drug and prostitution activity in the city of Shoreline (north of Seattle). Dan traveled the world and lived in Germany, England, and Israel for several years in the ‘70s. He taught pottery, leather tooling, and various crafts while living in Germany. His talents included charcoal and pencil sketching, oil, acrylic, and watercolor painting. Dan became proficient at playing guitar and looked forward to jam sessions with other musicians – most of all, his father and other Todorovich family members. Dan’s zest for life included fly fishing, mountain climbing, and skydiving. He had an appreciation for great food and consumed it with gusto and appreciation. He was passionate about studying the word of God, and being the best person he could be. Dan credited God’s answer to his prayers with sustaining his life long after doctors had predicted; death came two years to the day from when he was first assigned to hospice care and given only a few months to live. Survivors include sisters Kitty (Jim) Todorovich-Eppard, of Belen, NM, and Jaynie (Charles) Jones, of Tacoma, WA; former wife Sandra Jayne Love, of Lake Tahoe, NV, uncles Bud (Goldie) Todorovich, Boring, OR, and John (Norma Jean) Todorovich, Moorpark, CA, cousins from New York to Hawaii, beloved neighbors and dear friends whose love and caring helped him throughout his lengthy illness all the way to the end of his life at Franciscan Hospice House, in University Place, WA on 12/26/08. Celebration of Life was held Thursday, January 8, 2009 and burial took place January 27, 2009 in the Veterans’ Section at Hillcrest Burial Park, in Kent, WA. Daniel M. Todorovich Scholarship Fund donations can be mailed to: C/O Jaynie Jones, 2424 South 41st Street, #364-B, Tacoma, WA 98409-7353. For more information: jaynie.jones@gmail.com. Arrangements by Edwards Memorial Center, 253-566-1008.