Dr. George N. DANIELS

DANIELS, COON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/30/2006 at 10:58:30

Former Clarion resident, Dr. George N. Daniels, noted veterinary practitioner, innovator and educator, died Sunday, June 26, 2005 in Ames at the age of 85. A memorial for Dr. Daniels is planned for Saturday, August 20 at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ames. His ashes will be laid to rest next to those of his wife in Longmont, Colorado.

George N. Daniels was born January 13, 1920, in Alliance, Nebraska, the son of Herbert and Josephine Daniels. He attended Colorado State University where he met Florence Margaret Coon. The two were married in 1941 and moved to Clarion, where he opened a private veterinary practice. He was an active member of the community and served as a council member and Mayor. In 1977, Dr. Daniels left private practice for academia and research. He became a Professor of Pathology at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Iowa State University School of Veterinary Medicine, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1990. He had a great love of animals and believed the humane treatment of both home pets and farm livestock was a legacy that needed to be passed on from each veterinary generation. Dr. Daniels was also a maverick traveler, both in the United States and abroad. He joined his late wife, Margaret on culture tours of the former Eastern Bloc in the 1960's and early 1970's. "It was always an adventure," recalled Daniels a few years ago. "We weren't thinking about politics-just art, food, and meeting interesting people." The definition of a renaissance man, Dr. Daniels had a unique curiosity about the world around him. He was a licensed pilot, a hog farmer who pioneered a SPF herd, a prolific writer of letters and research, and a builder who especially loved cement. He had the fine knack of taking a 30-minute task and transforming it into at least a 3-hour work of art. After his retirement and the death of his wife, Daniels continued his travels, driving around the U.S. with his beloved companion, April a Shih Tzu dog, that often had the best seat in the van, the hotel, or the house.

Dr. Daniels is survived by one daughter, Karen; two sons, John and Dennis; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

July 14, 2005
© Wright County Monitor 2005