Daniel Joseph Schirn

Daniel Joseph Schirn was born on September 26, 1948, in Los Angeles, California.  He was the third child born to Otto and Yvonne Schirn, who immigrated to the United States from Europe in May, 1941. He died peacefully on February 28th, 2018, in Sonoma, California.

Danny led a full and vibrant life.  His lifelong love of athletics began when he was 11 years old, and a student in the Beverly Hills School System. At this young age, he became a hitting and pitching star, and in high school he developed a lifelong passion for running.  He was a sub-4:40 mile runner.  His outstanding achievement in track was winning the 1320=yard run as a senior.

Danny graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966 with a Degree in History, and a Teaching Credential from Cal State Northridge. He taught elementary school for several years and then began his 25 years working  at the Berkeley Public Library.  During this time, his passion for running continued. He also had a keen interest in all sports; he regularly followed professional and amateur teams; and he was always ready to talk about the games, the players, and strategy, especially with his brother Bob.

During Danny's last year at Berkeley, he discovered classical music.  He experienced feelings of peace and serenity when listening, and he would listen for hours.  He became a connoisseur of all genres of classical music and advised many of us on what, how, and why to listen.   A musical game we enjoyed with Danny:  We challenged him to identify a musical piece if we played only the first 3 notes. He consistently identified each piece.

 When Danny's son Gabe was born, Danny became a loving and doting father. As Gabe was growing up, Danny and Gabe visited each other regularly. They would listen to music, take long walks, eat healthy food, and talk about everything. 

During this time, Gabe developed a love for classical music, focusing on playing piano. This shared love of music was a gift to each one. Gabe is majoring in chemical engineering and piano performance at the University of Arizona. Danny was pleased and proud.

When Danny was 54, he met Monica, the woman who was to become the love of his life.  She answered an ad that read:  "My friends tell me I look like Richard Gere.."  Piqued by this provocative description, Monica called Danny. Their long phone conversation turned out to be filled with a fascinating discussion of "deep" topics.  Danny's ability to engage people in this type of conversation was to become a hallmark of his relationship with family, friends, and even strangers. Before Monica entered his life, Danny had very limited social contacts.  Monica opened up for him the rich world of interpersonal relationships.  Danny thrived in this new experience.

Danny enjoyed talking about anything and everything, with such topics as philosophy, politics, relationships, and psychology.  The exchanges were stimulating, enjoyable, and invigorating on both sides.  From philosophy, to  politics, to life and death, to psychology, to wisdom literature - no topic was unwelcome.  The deeper the exchange, the more Danny - and his conversation partner -  enjoyed it. All who engaged with Danny in this way found themselves transformed and enriched. Danny gave us this profound gift of delving beneath the surface to find hidden truths within ourselves. Monica: "He made me a better person."  And so he did with all of us.

Danny is survived by his beloved partner, Monica, his son, Gabe, a brother, Bob, a sister, Vivian, and his best friend, Jonny Evans.

May his memory be for a blessing.

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