Daniel Roche

Dan was born on June 10, 1944, in Marshalltown, IA, to Frances (Balloun) and Frank Roche, Jr., who farmed and instilled a great work ethic in him. He graduated from Colo High School in 1962. Dan worked for Heetland Electric as a high voltage electrician for 26 years and was the owner/operator of Roche Electric for 16 years before retiring to Arizona. Dan had 6 sons throughout his life: Allen, Dennis, Michael, Ronald, James, and Jerald.

Dan had a natural knack for figuring out how things worked, diagnosing issues, and fixing things. He was known for not trusting anyone who spelled a word the same way twice, his quick wit, and for his sage advice such as, “Cut towards the other guy,” and sayings such as, “If it’s not one thing, it’s ten or twelve others.” He was a life-long aficionado of history, westerns, listening and dancing to country-western as well as 50s & 60s music, boating, fishing, camping, football (particularly Iowa State and the Arizona Cardinals), auto racing, rodeos, good dogs, clocks, gardening, collecting, classic cars (particularly 54 Fords), traveling the US, good food, floating in the pool, visiting on the phone, political banter, and the beach and ocean. Throughout his life he displayed his ear-to-ear grinning smile, especially if he was trying to hide a surprise.

He is survived by Fern, his loving wife of 54 years. His close family includes Jim (Maren) of Brooklyn Park, MN, Jerry (Erin) of Ames, IA, and granddaughters Madeline, Emily, Julianna, Abigail, and Cora. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Arlene (Darrell) Jamison and Sr. Jeanne, an infant sister, two infant brothers, and his son Michael as an infant.

Interment will be near his wife’s family at Holmes Lutheran Cemetery in Iowa.