Daniel Schoedinger

Daniel H. Schoedinger, of Columbus, Ohio, and Whitefish died in a bicycle accident in Whitefish on July 27.

Dan was born on Sept. 5, 1944 to Mary Harris Schoedinger and William O. Schoedinger.

He was a loyal and loving son, devoted husband, wonderful father, doting grandfather, great friend, talented attorney and a gentleman. He had a love for the American west that he carried with him throughout his life.

He graduated from Lehigh University in 1966 and then, seeing an opportunity to further his education while living in the mountains, he attended the University of Denver Law School in 1969. Following his graduation from law school, Dan returned to Columbus where he clerked for C. William O’Neill, the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 1969-1971.

He spent his career as a real estate and development attorney at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease where he was a partner. From 1972-1979 he served on Columbus City Council — elected as the leading vote-getter in his first city-wide race. He decided not to run for re-election, walking away from a promising political career in which he was identified as a probable candidate for mayor and devoting himself instead to the full-time practice of law.

Upon his retirement in 2012, he found himself free to pursue many and varied passions.  In 2012, he rode his bicycle across the U.S. in a fundraising effort for Action for Children Ohio, where he served as a trustee from 1980-1988. He also served as trustee for the Central Ohio Breathing Association since 1995.

He learned to sculpt in recent years, animals being his favorite subject. From his parents he inherited a love of travel. He was unlikely to pass up an opportunity to share a glass of red wine, a bowl of ice cream or a good story.

Woven through all of this was the American west, a passion he indulged as often as he could and one he shared generously with friends and especially with family. As a young attorney he took a month-long sabbatical and loaded his family into an RV heading due west visiting many of the national parks.  

A life-long and accomplished skier, he not only kept up with, but still bested many a fraction of his age. His granddaughters would all attest to his tireless willingness to play in the snow, even on the heels of rigorous skiing.

Summertime in Whitefish meant happy days filled with hiking and biking. He loved to share the beauty of Bowman Lake, nestled deep within Glacier National Park — particularly after first sharing a huckleberry bear claw at Polebridge Mercantile.

Dan is preceded in death by his mother, Mary Harris Schoedinger.

 He will be deeply missed by many, and especially his wife, Diane Bennett; children, Tara (Arne Metzger) Schoedinger, of Jamestown, Colo.; Arrin (Alisa) Schoedinger, of Portland, Ore., and their children Poppy, Edie, and Inez; Christy (Andrew) Rosenthal, of Bexley, Ohio and their children Grace and Lily; Diane’s children Mark (Ashlea) Bennett and their children Lake and Bryson, of Dallas; and Jill (Clay Iman) Bennett Iman, of Denver; his father, William O. Schoedinger of Scottsdale, Ariz.; sisters, Peggy (Simon Fisher)Schoedinger of Boulder, Colo., and Nancy (Pat) Hurley of Paradise Valley, Ariz.; nephew, Mike (Ali) Makowski and niece, Katherine Makowski; nephew, Justin (Andrea) Hurley and their children, Eden and Alana; and nephew, Ethan (Amy) Hurley, of Helena and their children Finn and Reef.

Memorial services will be held in Columbus in October and in Whitefish in February.

Condolences may be made to the family at www.Schoedinger.com.