Daniel Finn Sherrill, 44, of Summerset, S.D., passed away at home on Saturday, Dec. 19, after battling a short illness. A private family service will be held and a celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
Dan is survived by his wife, Teresa, and children Abby and Sam of Summerset; parents Marv and AJ Sherrill of Watertown, SD; brother Tim and his wife Jenny and children Mark and Adam of Noblesville, Ind.; father-in-law and mother-in-law Greg and Peggy Fried of Bison, S.D.; brother-in-law Chris Fried and wife Mary and children Noah, Ellie, Simon and Peter of Mobridge, S.D.; brother-in-law Scott Fried of Sioux Falls, S.D.; several aunts and uncles, cousins, and many dear friends. Several years ago, Dan connected with his biological family and they became a very important part of his life. He is also survived by Beverly, Jordan, Mike, Tawni, Miriah, Rheanna, Blye, Milo, Bello and Adara.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Arnfinn and Ruth Stene and E.T. Marvin and Jackie Sherrill and special neighbors, Maurie and Cotty Holdridge.
Dan was born on Nov. 27, 1976 in Rapid City, S.D. and was adopted by Marv and A.J. Sherrill when he was a month old. He attended Watertown schools growing up and graduated from Watertown High School in 1995. He then went to college, first attending Concordia in Minnesota for a year and then at BHSU until he graduated in 2000. He earned his Master’s in Physical Education Pedagogy from Mankato State in 2011.
Dan married his best friend, biggest fan, and love of his life, Teresa (Fried), on July 13, 2002 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Spearfish, S.D. Dan and Teresa moved to Wheatland a year after they were married. Both of their children, Abigail and Samuel, were born in Wheatland and the family lived there until 2014. Dan was then hired by the Rapid City School District and the family moved to Summerset, where they currently reside. Dan taught middle and elementary PE classes while in Wheatland and when in Rapid City, he first taught Adapted PE then went to Pinedale Elementary for a few years. This fall he returned to teaching Adapted PE, traveling district wide. It did not matter if he had a classroom full of students or if he was one-on-one, he made all students feel like they were welcome in his gym, that they all had great and unique abilities, and they all mattered. Dan was a patient, compassionate and positive teacher and these attributes made him an amazing role model for any student.
Dan was a lifelong sports enthusiast and his passion was obvious to all who knew him. When he was a teenager, Dan and his buddies would play Wiffleball for hours and they took it very seriously. They played The National Anthem (via a cassette player), they posted match results on a pairings bracket and even had a concession stand set up during an “official unofficial city Wiffleball tournament.”
Since his dad, Marv, was a wrestling coach, Dan started showing his “Arrow Pride” at a young age, going with his dad to meets. His love for the sport progressed from observer to participant to coach. He was a coach to middle school teams in Spearfish, Wheatland, and Rapid City. He continued to follow every level of wrestling competition and had a great memory for all sports trivia, but it was impeccable when it came to South Dakota wrestling stats. He always remembered the scores of the matches and was perfectly versed in the moves used by the wrestlers.
Dan became the Stevens High School assistant girls’ tennis coach of the team on which his daughter Abby played. He coached for the past five years and was very proud to be a part of the program. “Once a Raider, Always a Raider” was ingrained into his enthusiasm as much as his “Arrow Pride.” He was also a coach for Sam’s baseball and Abby’s softball teams and they are so grateful their dad was their coach.
Music always played an important part in Dan’s life. He was a part of many musical groups such as the band he helped form in high school, Beta Carateen, the BHSU Jazz Band, sang in the Black Hills Gold Choir, and shared the stage with many different bands. The Mighty Moose Band was formed while he was in college and they became regulars in the Spearfish area, accruing a large following of music lovers. When Dan and Teresa moved to Wyoming, Dan started playing solo gigs and shortly afterward, Dan Sherrill Music was formed. He toured around the region and country on certain weekends, sharing his feel-good music. His positive energy, good vibes, smooth voice, reggae guitar beats, and trumpet playing were a gift to all who were lucky enough to hear him. His passion for making and sharing music never left him nor will it be forgotten. He loved that his music made people happy and moved people’s souls and that part about him, will live on forever.
The most important role that Dan played was that of husband and dad. His children and wife were his pride and joy. He attended every school and sport event he could and watched with pride. He never failed to let them know how much they meant to him, telling them daily, “Know that you are loved.” He was the most kind, genuine, tender-hearted man and these characteristics made him an exceptional father and husband. He saw the good in everyone and never failed to make every person he met feel special. His spirit shined brightly, his smile was genuine, and his laughter was contagious. The best part about it was that this is truly who he was. We will love him, always and forever. Know that you are loved too, Dan.
Arrangements are with Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home in Rapid City. His online tribute page with guestbook and service video is at: https://www.osheimschmidt.com/obituary/dan-sherrill
