Daniel Cartwright

DANIEL ROGER CARTWRIGHT

Came into this world: May, 27, 1949 – Departed this world: August 11, 2026

Born in New London, Wisconsin - Died in Denton, Texas

Parents: Russell K. Cartwright Sr., and Lorraine P. Fermanich

Siblings: Russell W. Cartwright Jr., Robert L. Cartwright and John T. Cartwright

SURVIVORS: Daniel is survived by his wife of 49 years, Melanie and their daughter, Crystal Dawn Cartwright. Brother, Robert Cartwright. Sister-in-law, Carol/Russell Cartwright Jr (deceased), Nieces and nephews, Scott Cartwright/Jackie and their children; Paul Cartwright, Kelli Sager, Chad Sager and Katelyn Jean Thyssen-Gunderson (deceased), Cindy / Jim Steger and their children, Austin Steger, Wesley Steger/ Katie and sons Colton and Cameron, Abbigale Steger and Nicole Steger, Brenda Brunet and daughters. Tylyn Brunet and Allison Brunet. Brian Cartwright and daughter, Sheyanne Cartwright.

Daniel was predeceased by his parents, Russell K. Cartwright Sr., and Lorraine Fermanich Cartwright, his eldest brother, Russell Cartwright Jr., and his younger brother, John Cartwright. He also was predeceased by his niece, Wendy Cartwright, his great niece, Katelyn Gunderson, and great nephew, David Allen Stein.

Daniel grew up in rural North Central Wisconsin on a dairy farm near New London. He and his three brothers milked the cows and bottle fed new calves, did chores and helped with harvesting the corn and hay, which were stored in tall metal silos. They grew up in a white, two story farmhouse that was over 100 years old, made tire swings in the large maple trees, and played in the fern shaded coolness of the woods, where chipmunks scampered. Dan and his brother, Robert, were two years apart and they played, squabbled and got into trouble together.

Dan’s mother, Lorraine, grew up a mile down the road in a family of twelve children, so, when the Fermanichs had a family reunion, it was a wonderful mix of laughter, good food, and children playing and having a great time.

Dan attended elementary school in a one room schoolhouse with an outdoor privy that did not invite you to linger in the sub zero temperatures of winter. When he transferred to school “in town,” he and his brother, Robert (Bobby), tried out for football and he found his new, favorite pastime. At New London High School, he played left defensive end. After high school, he applied to the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, and joined their football team. He later dropped out and received training in welding and sheet metal fabrication.

In the fall of 1976, he met his future wife, Melanie Sexton, through mutual friends at a church conference in Wisconsin Dells. Group outings in each other’s company, followed by a dinner date, began a relationship that lasted for 49 years. They were married on March 6, 1977 in River Oaks, Texas.

They began their married life in a small, upstairs apartment in the thriving village of New Holstein, Wisconsin. At that time, Dan was employed by a company that built and maintained metal grain silos. This involved climbing to the top of silos that could be 100 feet high, strapping himself into a bosun’s chair and swinging around the sides of the silo to test for leaks. Later in his life, he worked 10 years for a sheet metal company that installed ductwork in large manufacturing spaces. However, for many years afterward, he would often say that his outdoor job sealing the grain silos was “the best job that I ever had.”

In the fall of 1977, Dan made the decision to take his wife back to Texas, because she missed her family. For a Wisconsin farm boy, the DFW area was major culture shock and he complained about the bugs and the heat for a long time. Melanie would ask him, from time to time, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Around age 40, he decided that physically demanding jobs in the heat were going to be self limiting. He signed up for some refresher courses at Tarrant County Junior College and later, transferred his credits to the University of North Texas in Denton. This was a mighty task for anyone; taking classes year round, working to support his family, and spending every spare moment studying. He was discouraged at times and even considered giving up, but he stayed the course and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1997. He worked as a contractor for Texas Instruments for several years and, later, worked for Micron in Manassus, Virginia and Boise, Idaho for 4 years. When he returned to Texas, he was hired full time by Texas Instruments and worked there as a software engineer, until his retirement in February of 2023.

On January 19, 1983, their daughter, Crystal Dawn, was born. At the hospital, as the new father held his infant daughter, he declared that “this is the best day of my life!” He loved her dearly and was proud of her victories in the hard places and the things that she was able to accomplish, in spite of health challenges.

Daniel was a serious person and an introvert, but he had compassion on the broken members of our society and he offered help when he could. There were times when we opened our home and offered protection to young women who had been sexually and emotionally abused. We knew a couple who had fallen on hard times due to job loss and health problems, and he offered them temporary housing until the husband could get his disability income.

Our life together, over almost five decades, had its ups and downs. Like most people, we had our share of trials and challenges; financial, relational, health. Dan was hospitalized due to blood clots on 3 occasions. He was hit by a truck while out bike riding and refused to go with the EMTs that responded to the emergency and drove himself home with a fractured hip. Now, that takes a special kind of stubborn. In recent years, he became aware that he was losing his memories and struggled to find the right words to communicate. It was very frustrating to him. He continued to go to church on Sunday mornings and read his Bible. When he couldn’t remember how to get back home from church, then we parked his car in the garage and I drove him to church and appointments. Dan loved Jesus with all his heart and he loved our daughter, Crystal.

Dan was a member of Denton Bible Church for 15 years. Dan’s best friend, Gaylon Richter, encouraged him to get involved in evangelical missions overseas. Inspired, Dan was able to participate in a mission trip to Romania and, later, one to Siberia. This took a lot of courage for a boy from Wisconsin, who had never flown overseas or visited a foreign country that did not speak his native language. Sadly, he lost his good friend, Gaylon, to cancer in 2022.

Dan’s wife and daughter loved cats, but Dan believed that animals belonged “outside.” Over the years, a series of pet kitties gradually worked their magic on him. In recent years, he would always find our Siamese kitties; Thor and Loki and say “goodnight” to them. They were very fond of him, too, and liked to take naps on a small blanket on the desk in his office.

We loved him so much and losing him to Alzheimer’s was brutal. Our hearts go out to anyone who has a loved one battling this disease. Crystal said that she is comforted by the thought of him being greeted in Heaven by his good friend, Gaylon, and wrapped in a warm hug.