Dan Hovermale

Daniel L Hovermale passed away unexpectedly after arriving home from a simple surgery on March 18th, 2022.

Dan was born December 20th, 1956 in San Pedro, CA. He grew up in Alaska, married Karen Sundby in 1978, and they had 34 adventure filled years together. They had three children: Eric, Clint, and Jeanie. Dan worked as a diesel and small aircraft mechanic, commercial fished, flew around Alaska in his T-Craft, hunted and fished, built houses and farmed on their homestead. He started a small engine shop, sold snow machines and chainsaws and enjoyed exploring the wilderness of the Wrangell Mountains nearby. Dan and Karen lived a simple life off the land and raised the kids that way. He enjoyed horses and over the years had a few special dogs (Dammit, Toby, Beau, Gus, Ace, and Buddy). Always dreaming of having a cattle ranch, they eventually found the place on the Powder River near Broadus in 1999. Dan worked the ranch and built a hunting lodge for their new business, Cedar Breaks Outfitting. In his last few years at Broadus, he also owned a pipeline business and mechanic shop.

Dan started a new adventure in life after he and Karen parted ways in 2012. He moved to Laurel, MT with hopes of flying helicopters but this didn't work out with his eyesight. He met his new love in 2013, Julie Cantrell, and married her in March of 2015. They spent all their time together. Dan had always wanted to snowbird in Prescott, AZ, however, Julie already had a home in Yuma and together they lived in 5 different homes there! They spent their summers in a beautiful home they built on the Rosebud River in MT before moving to Las Cruces, NM in 2018. They spent their retirement traveling, riding motorcycles, dancing, having parties with their friends, and enjoying their many different houses.

Dan loved life, his family and his friends. He kept busy and worked hard to accomplish his dreams while at the same time not taking things in life too seriously and enjoying the ride that ended too soon. If you knew Dan, there is no doubt you have a smiling memory of him. A life celebration was held in Yuma with Julie for Dan and another will be held in Alaska with his family up there this summer.

Dan is survived by his wife, Julie Hovermale, his son, Eric Hovermale, his daughter, Jeanie Hovermale, ex-wife Karen Hovermale, his brother, Phillip Hovermale and his wife Roberta, sister Mary K Bryant and her husband Jerry, sister Anna Maus, his sister Susie Maleski, and many nieces and nephews.

Dan was preceeded in death by his father, Orville Leroy Hovermale, his mother, Dorathy Hovermale, his son, Clint Hovermale, and his sister, Jackie Wickman.