Dan Boone

Daniel Richard Boone Jr was born in Hamlin, Texas, February 3, 1933 to Daniel Richard Boone and Mildred Mayfield Boone. He was the second of their four children. Dan passed away December 30, 2023 at the age of 90.

In Hamlin, his family lived in a General Crude camp. They always had electricity but not always water, which was caught off the roof in a cistern. All the kids used the same bath water. School let out for two weeks in the fall for all of the kids to pick cotton. Dan’s sister, Helen, made $9 for the whole season. The family moved from Hamlin to Baytown when Dan was in third grade.

In Baytown, Dan got moved from third to fourth grade because they added a twelfth grade. He did not like school there and walked home during recess to avoid having to read in front of the class. The family later moved to White Oak where Dan was saved, following his sister, Helen, down the aisle of the church so they were baptized at the same time. They eventually settled in Dayton where Dan graduated high school and met Sally, who was from nearby Crosby. He played football for Lamar Tech as tight end for two years. The second year, his brother, Jerry, played quarterback. In that year, the two brothers connected for one touchdown.

Having been recently drafted into the US Army, he married Sarah Elizabeth “Sally” Towler on November 10, 1952. Dan was sent overseas and was stationed in Germany when his first son was born. Rusty was nine months old when Dan saw him for the first time. They had three more sons, Buzzy, Randy, and Roger, and lived in Beaumont, Victoria, Pearsall, Dayton, Richmond, Smithville, Montgomery, and Bastrop. Dan went to work for LCRA at Sim Gideon Steam Plant in 1963 as a technician and worked there until he retired as Plant Superintendent in 1995. He and Sally were longtime members of First Baptist Church of Bastrop.

Dan could always be seen on the sidelines when any of his four boys played football, baseball, or ran track for Bastrop High School. This devotion continued as he attended countless ball games, track meets, soccer matches, golf tournaments, choir performances, and dance recitals of his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He started playing golf at the age of 32. He and his partner and friend, Gene Wilkins, played in over 80 tournaments in just 13 years. Dan won enough golf paraphernalia to outfit four sons, three grandsons, a brother and a nephew with complete sets of clubs, bags, shoes, and umbrellas. In 1985 alone, the pair played in 17 tournaments, winning 4, placing second in 6, and third in 2. In one tournament, Dan and Gene trailed the lead team by five strokes with 9 holes to play. They won by one stroke.

As Alzheimer’s slowly took Sally from him, Dan took on more and more of her care. In the end, he attended to her every need around the clock, serving as her sole and loving caregiver. Dan and Sally had been married for sixty-four years when she passed away on July 24, 2017. He was at her side.

Dan is survived by his brother, Jerry Allen Boone, and one sister, Helen Wyvonne Dewey. He is survived by his four sons: Daniel Richard “Rusty” Boone III and wife Renea of New Braunfels; Edward Allen “Buzzy” Boone and wife Lucia of Iola; Randall Lee “Randy” Boone of Austin; and Joel Roger Boone and wife Liza of San Marcos. Dan is survived by eight grandchildren: Daniel Richard Boone IV and wife Shelley; Joe Nathan Boone and wife Lauren; Jake Allen Boone and wife Angie; Diane Nicole Lewis and husband Jonathan; Melanie Renae Schmitto and husband Matthew; Lance Roger Boone and wife Kaitlin; Colin Joel Boone and fiance Jessica Jecmenek; and Jamie Danielle Boone. He is survived by fifteen great grandchildren: Olivia Brooke Boone, McKenna Nicole Boone, Gabriel Allen Boone, Braden Daniel Boone, Clara Grace Boone, Ryland Joe Boone, Asher Daniel Boone, Kynlee Faith Boone, Juliette Elaine Boone, Raeleigh Lacey Boone, Eliana Rhea Lewis, Jensen Charles Boone, Adeline Esther Lewis, and Sawyer Boone Schmitto.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Cheri Jean Collins, one great-granddaughter, Atlee Grace Boone, and his wife, Sally.

Visitation will be from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Friday, January 12, 2024 at Marrs Jones Newby Funeral Home. The funeral home is located at 505 Old Austin Highway in Bastrop, Texas.

The funeral service will be at 1:00pm on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at the First Baptist Church with burial following at Fairview Cemetery. The church is located at 1201 Water Street in Bastrop, Texas.