Obituary of John Daniel Small

John Daniel Small, known to most as “Dan” or “J Dan,” was born September 7, 1954, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to John and Earlene Small. He departed to Glory as the sun was dawning on the morning of May 8, 2015, surrounded by family members in their home in Brinnon, WA. The Small family resided in Rock, MI, where Dan’s dad taught in the elementary school, while establishing a Bible-believing church and assisting in Christian ministries in the region. In 1968 they were invited to Missoula, MT, to assist local Christians in church planting. Dan entered high school upon the move to Missoula and enjoyed a measure of success in the music and drama departments. During each summer Dan went to a “Bible & Saddle Ranch” in Mercer, ND, on a large Angus ranch where he learned vital life-skills and was given invaluable opportunities to develop his leadership and teaching abilities. To solidify his understanding of the Christian message, Dan attended Emmaus Bible School in Oak Park, IL. The following year he worked as a carpenter’s assistant and helped in Young Life and Campus Crusade ministries. Shortly after returning to Emmaus for a second year, Dan met the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. Plans were made for a Labor Day wedding after completing the three-year program. After their first child was born, the family moved to Texas for Dan to continue his education, going to Dallas Bible College as well as being discipled privately for several years by an older man. As a means of family support, Dan worked nights as a DJ for a Christian radio station, a long-held dream of his, and worked days as a remodeling contractor. Out of a desire to serve the poor, the family, now with three young children, moved to the Philippines to work in a church planting and discipleship ministry. Upon their return to the States two years later, Dan was asked to become the pastor of their sending church. As the children grew older and three more were added, Dan sought a ministry that would enable greater involvement with his children. An ad in a Christian magazine sent the family on their next adventure to serve at a Bible camp in Alaska. While there, another baby was born into the family. Four years later the Board at Shiloh Bible Camp in western Washington asked him to take the directorship. Wanting to live closer to his parents as they aged, he took the position at the close of 1999. His leadership at Shiloh truly brought all of his gifts, skills, and life experience together. During the winter of 2009 he helped to rebuild the small country church and parsonage in the North River Valley, both of which had been destroyed by a flood. As the church was without a pastor at the time, he facilitated the services, holding them at the camp while the church was being repaired. After the church was able to move back into the building, he continued to help the leaders there until they were able to find a pastor while he himself became increasingly burdened to serve in a family ministry. That place appeared to be a family retreat center in Brinnon, WA, on the Olympic Peninsula called The Refuge. However, in June of 2013, six months after moving there, he was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow disease. As his strength declined, he used the remaining two years of his life to write: he paraphrased the entire New Testament to leave for his grandchildren and put all the Psalms into poetic meter and rhyme. At the time of his death, he was working on three different books to help people come to love and enjoy God with all their hearts through a fuller understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whenever he had any energy, he was looking ahead to how he could minister more effectively for the Kingdom of Christ, starting two non-profit organizations during his final year: Vision 20/20, to raise funds and to recruit others to serve in difficult places around the world; and Family Reclamation Project, to develop and distribute materials to encourage family discipleship. As Dan himself expressed in the forward to his paraphrase of the book of Acts, which he entitled “The Sequel”: “Why this sudden ‘The End’ in the middle of a [life so full of ongoing vision and ministry]? Maybe it wasn’t intended to be The End. . . Just maybe the Author wanted to pull the reader into the action in such a way that they become part of the story themselves!” And so we are invited to continue his story, his legacy: the ongoing story of Jesus Christ living in and through flawed, frail, finite individuals. Dan Small was preceded to Life that is truly Life by his parents, John and Earlene Small, and by his eldest son, Jeremiah Small. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Rebecca Small, their other six children, and 13 grandchildren: Sarah (Jon) Russell and 4 children, Mattaniah (Ericka) Small and 4 children, Caleb (Kassie) Small and 3 children, Keren Small and 2 children, Tirzah Small, and Sharon Small; and by his sister Marilyn (Mike) and three brothers, Bob (Jolene), Gary (Laurie), and Jeff (Yuko). Members of the family will be at McComb &Wagner Family Funeral Home, 718 W. Railroad Ave., Shelton, WA, on Friday, May 15th, from 5:00-8:00 P.M. for a time of remembrance and condolence. A family interment service will take place at Brinnon Community Cemetery at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, May 16th. A memorial service will be held at Grays Harbor Foursquare Church, 4800 Central Park Dr., Aberdeen, WA, at 4:00 P.M. on Sunday, May 17th. Information may be obtained at (360) 426-4803. Memorial gifts may be given to Family Reclamation Project or to Vision 20/20.