Dan Joseph Kizer, 71, of Front Royal, Virginia passed away on July 8, 2023 in the comfort of his home.
A funeral service will take place on July 16th, 2023, at 11:00AM. The service will be held at Maddox Funeral Home in Front Royal, VA. Dan will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Dan was born on January 19, 1952 in Louisville, Kentucky to the late Dallas and Bobbie Kizer. He was also preceded in death by his brother, David Kizer; and his sisters, Nancy Kizer and Debbie Kizer.
Surviving Dan are his loving Children, Tony Kizer (Paula), Ashley Price (Chad), and Tim Kizer (Amy); his siblings, Don Kizer, William Kizer, and Sandy Panky; his grandchildren, Zachary Kizer, Mason Kizer, and Jackson Price; many nieces and nephews; his family friends, Janet, Bob and Jen German; and his beloved German Shepherd, Max.
While Dan was born in Kentucky, he raised in Sonoma, California. It was shortly after high school he joined the Air Force where he gave 22 years of devoted service. He worked as a vehicle mechanic and part of the security police but spent the majority of his career as an airfield manager. Through his service he had the honor of working with Air Force One, The Thunderbirds and countless service men and women. He had numerous accomplishments while in the Air Force and served during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
It was in the Air Force where he met and married Susan Barnhart. They had three children and went on many adventures including crossing the country, in a Volkswagen camper van, to explore the US with their kids. In between those trips, Dan enjoyed taking his family camping, fishing and skiing at Lake Metigoshe.
Dan moved to Virginia after retiring from the Air Force and went on to work at Randolph Macon Academy and Mt. Weather. He later married Jennifer German where they enjoyed camping, traveling, working on home projects, family holidays and time with the grandsons.
In his spare time, he enjoyed wood working and decorating his house for the holidays to entertain his neighborhood. He took great pride in his Halloween and Christmas decorations that often took weeks to months to prepare. The holidays meant a great deal to Dan and he enjoyed making others smile with holiday spirit. The family often joked that Clark Griswold was inspired after him. He also had a love of animals, music, his country and above all, his family.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to https://k9sforwarriors.org/ .
I want to give a big thanks to his neighbors, Mitsy and Rick, for being so good to our Dad and helping out. Thank you both. We are forever grateful.
Awww, you’re so sweet -we were glad to help. Dan was a proud military man to the end and he loved his kids. And, yes, his Halloween decorations were legend!
Mitzi
We love you 3000 Granddad
I am a long time friend of William Kizer (since third grade). I would like give my condolences to the family and say “WOW” what a good man.
Thank you for taking the time to reach out. It’s much appreciated.
We became friends with Dan when he shopped at our pet store.He always had a kind word and a smile.
Any time we saw him, he always wanted to talk and catch up.He had a big heart.
We will miss seeing him.
We really appreciate you reaching out. He sure did love his animals so I’m sure you all do have a lot of memories with him. Wishing you the best.
We are so sorry to hear of Mr. Kizer’s passing. He was a good man and a legend on our street. My kids and now my gkids always loved to go there for halloween. He will be missed.
Hi Loretta,
Thank you for taking the time to reach out. Dad sure loved to be able to put those decorations out for the kids. I’m happy to know they were enjoyed.
We had the pleasure of meeting Dan several years ago. He was a kindly person and wonderful conversationalist. His Halloween show was spectacular! He will be missed in the neighborhood.
Hi Neal and Julie,
Thank you for sharing your memories and for being kind to our dad. I wish I could have seen all the Halloween decorations each year!