Daniel John Kaswinkel's Obituary
Daniel "Dan" John Kaswinkel, 91, of Cordova, TN, passed away on March 2, 2025 following a brief illness, surrounded by family. He was a member of the St. Luke Lutheran Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Vina Kaswinkel of Wilkes-Barre, PA, and his brother Karl Kaswinkel, of Gainesville, FL.
Dan leaves behind his loving wife, Joan Lois (née Pytell) Kaswinkel, with whom he shared a wonderful life together for 67 years. Together, they raised two children: Donna (Dave) Nelson of Collierville, TN and Dr. Daryl (Diana) Kaswinkel of Columbus, OH. He was a proud grandfather to four grandchildren: Natalie (Chris) Damore of Oxford, MS, Katherine (Joel) Pina of Collierville, TN, and Spencer and Isabella Kaswinkel, both of Columbus, OH. He also cherished three great-grandchildren—John Luke Pina, Daniel Thomas Damore, and Grace Anne Pina—whom he often saw and shared many celebrations with. He also leaves behind a brother, George (Beverly) Kaswinkel, of New Philadelphia, OH.
Growing up in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Dan graduated from G.A.R. Memorial High School. Dan was an Army veteran who served two years as an artillery specialist, rising to the rank of Sergeant. He was stationed in Germany for most of his service. After his military service, he earned an engineering degree from Penn State's Scranton campus. Dan then began his career as a draftsman for General Electric in Schenectady, NY, where he furthered his education through in-company courses on electrical motor system design. He quickly advanced within GE's engine design team. Later, he transferred to another GE plant in Hendersonville, TN.
In Hendersonville, while enjoying seeing their children grow up, Dan and Joan enjoyed the southern hospitality of the area, and they became long-standing members of a local square dancing club. But dancing wasn't Dan's main hobby by any means—he was a craftsman and a true "Jack of all trades" who welcomed the challenges of any new project. Dan was never the type of person to sit idly and watch TV. Rather, he was always taking on projects around the house or helping family and friends with theirs. For Dan, no task was too big or complex: He would see any project through to completion where everyone else would have thrown their hands up and quit. Dan loved to build and restore furniture, repair electronics, solve plumbing issues, build home additions, and was an amazing house painter. He also developed a passion for working on cars while spending time with his older brother. He recycled many spare parts, and was always happy to lend extras. If he didn't have a part, he'd find a way to craft it himself. Dan was always meticulously organized about everything, especially his workshop.
In 1977, Dan joined Magnetek Electronic, Inc. in St. Louis, MO, where he worked with engineers and draftsmen to design custom motors for use all over the world. Dan, Joan, and their son Daryl moved to Chesterfield, MO to enjoy the next chapter of their lives.
Anyone who spent time with Dan quickly learned of his immense passion for fishing. Those closest to him often debated whether he loved the act of fishing or recounting the stories of "landing the big one" more. Whether at parties, church, the grocery store, hardware store, or even the doctor's office, Dan was a social butterfly—he would happily strike up a conversation with anyone. Besides fishing, he loved to talk about his family, career, and cars. Dan was truly one of a kind. He was a self-made, self-taught family man with talents that few possess. He will be dearly missed.
The family will hold a private graveside service at Memorial Park Cemetery, located at 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN. In lieu of flowers, the family warmly suggests considering a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org/donate).
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