Daniel "Dan" W. Hale

Daniel "Dan" W. Hale, born on September 22, 1971, in Belvidere, Illinois, passed away on October 28, 2025, in Rockford, Illinois. He was born on September 22, 1971 the son of Virgil and Carol (Wheeler) Hale. He married the love of his life Barb Harms on November 12, 1994 and they built a beautiful life and family together over the last 31 years. He was a devoted family man, known for his caring and loving nature. Dan cherished spending quality time with his “girls”, friends and family, always putting their needs first.

He earned a Master’s degree and dedicated many years of his professional life to Greenlee Textron and then Danfoss, where he most recently contributed to the quality control team. His work ethic and commitment to excellence were evident to all who knew him. His work ethic did not end after a days work. Dan loved undertaking home improvement projects. He took pride in transforming his home into a beautiful sanctuary and later enjoyed assisting his daughter, Megan, with her own home endeavors. There was nothing that he would not do for his girls.

Dan was particularly passionate about coaching sports, especially for his daughters. He loved being involved in their lives and made it a point to be an active presence in all their sporting events. His love for basketball extended beyond coaching for his daughters or a team at the YMCA, as he also enjoyed playing the game throughout his life.

In addition to sports, Dan had a myriad of hobbies that brought him joy. He participated in a fantasy football league with his friends. His athleticism was showcased in high school through tennis, a sport that transitioned into a love for pickle ball as he grew older. A true outdoors man at heart, Dan found serenity in nature, particularly when carp fishing. Participating in the CoonCreek Castors Carp-A-Thon yearly with his girls was something near and dear to his heart.

Dan is survived and missed by his wife, Barb of Davis Junction; parents, Virgil and Carol Hale of Belvidere; daughters, Megan (Whitman Taylor) Hale of Rockford and Jenna Hale of Davis Junction; siblings, Craig (Amanda) Hale of Caledonia, Kevin (Jan) Hale of Union, JoAnn Hale of Rockford, and Brian (Ruth) Hale of Oregon; niece, Emma (Jeremy) Snow of Malta; and beloved dog, Ella.

A memorial service will be held to honor Dan's well lived life at 11:00 AM on November 1, 2025, at Red Brick Church in Stillman Valley, IL. Visitation will be held from prior to the service from 9:30 - 11:00 AM. Memorials are established in his name and will be directed to charities that were meaningful to Dan.