MAYSVILLE Daniel Bascom Crum, Jr., of Maysville, Ky., passed away on 01 July 2024, on his 52nd wedding anniversary.

Very fondly known as Danny and then Dan when he decided to grow up, he was the only son of Daniel and Marjorie Crum, born on May 05, 1947, in Cincinnati, Ohio and one can only imagine their joy in finally seeing him again.

After graduating from Maysville High School and Eastern Kentucky University, he was so proud to follow in his father's footsteps and went to work alongside him at Wald Manufacturing. He travelled the world and only occasionally brought back gifts for his sons. Dan loved working to build a small, local company that gave much back to his treasured Maysville, and he extolled Wald's services for 47 years, even into retirement, part-time, with gusto.

After retirement, he landed the job he was always meant to fulfill, as a tour guide and raconteur for the Old Pogue Distillery. It combined his love of Maysville, people, conversation and Kentucky bourbon. His tasting pours were heavy, met everyone with a wink and his smile welcomed strangers and friends alike for a short respite from their daily trappings.

Dan met the love of his life at Eastern Kentucky University and married Margaret Herrmann in Louisville, on July 01, 1972. They moved to Maysville and started a family. Dan was the proud father of Jonathan Daniel, Christian Edward and Nicholas Samuel, whom he dedicated his entire life's pursuit to make better men. Most would say his endeavor was successful. He was tough but fair and always equitable. His family never questioned his love for them, and he almost always shared the right sentiment in any situation, being effusive in praise and delicate with criticism. His family wanted for nothing, ever.

As an ultimate father, he curbed his own wants and ambitions to align with what his three boys were keen to explore. He was a baseball, basketball and soccer coach, and developed a deep sense of service to the community when his boys got the itch for scouting. Dan was a natural leader of men and directed countless Maysville youth on the virtuous path of valuing ethics and character working with the Boy Scouts of America in a myriad of leadership positions.

His life of service started with his membership in the DeKalb Lodge and early in his son's lives, would routinely bring them to the Rec Park for his league softball games and treat them to the coldest glass bottle Coca-Cola afterwards, at Taters.  He taught his sons to fish at Lawrence creek, how to dominate a 3-legged race at the annual church picnic, a winning strategy for capture the flag, to properly throw a tomahawk and most importantly, how to treat those they love the most.

He began again with the game of golf when his son's begged him to play with them after work and though his short game was atrocious, he played whenever he was asked and never agreed to rent the cart. He passed along his love for the Louisville Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals even though he knew it would be a lifetime prescription of heartbreak and disappointment. He introduced his sons to Johnny Bench at the Maysville Expo, watched alongside them as Louisville beat Alabama in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl and consoled them with Tim Krumrie broke his leg.

He was ecstatic when Teresa Johnson, Kristi Middleton and Kate Crawford joined his family and though always curious how his sons tricked these marvelous women into putting up with them, he cherished the dynamic they added to his life. They softened him, adding joy and enriching his life. He was a boy dad, through and through, but so very much appreciated the grace, polish and grandeur that his "daughters" afforded him and his often-disgusting sons.

Dan reveled in the tales and successes of his 4 grandchildren, Deacon Bascom, Ramsey Johnson, Sutton Louise and Parker Grace. His later years were filled with their triumphs on the baseball and soccer fields, swimming pools, basketball courts, performance stages, classrooms, cross county and golf courses. They affectionately called him G-Pa and knew him as an avid maker of s'mores and the best of fire pit builders. God made him to be a grandfather and he always longed for the far too infrequent next visit or adventure with his beloved little ones.

Dan was a piddler, builder of winning Pinewood Derby cars, tremendous camping partner, bad speller, great carpenter, connoisseur & daily texter of dad jokes, mole hunter, notorious for having his eyes closed in every single picture ever taken of him, his son's personal ATM machine, and had the best belly laugh.

He was known as a dedicated collector of free ink pens, water bottles, carabiners, coozies, 30 year old Lego pieces, random nuts & bolts, lawnmowers, bicycles, cardboard boxes, Ohio River Sweep t-shirts, tape measures, putters, lumber and computer monitors. He never saw swag he didn't covet, and his Christmas stocking gifts of cable management devices and keychain apparatuses were always popular, and most are still in use.

His wife, Peg, was his right hand, best friend and there was never a Fox News program they didn't enjoy together. They shared an eternity worth of adventure, exultation, memories, heartache, travels, friendships, loss, and love. They enjoyed each other's stories, no matter how often they were repeated, and they laughed. He always looked at her with a passion not often used for others. He will forever be with his darling bride in spirit and will inextricably be the voice in her head until they meet again.

His sweet dogs, Boo, Princess, Mercedes, Beamer, Madison and Saban, all gave him daily purpose and brought about great joy and peace in his heart. He was content to know that some of them will rest easy, alongside him, on this final journey of his.

Dan has finally been relieved of the lifelong task of ever throwing anything away. If there are any Boy Scouts reading this that were active from 1986 – 2020, his family has the advancement crap you never picked up, the old sleeping bags you left at the church and more than likely every documented merit badge card you ever earned.

He would have hated the attention being paid to him but those that loved him were lucky to have someone that makes parting so very difficult.

A Memorial Service will be held for Dan at his cherished First Presbyterian Church at 11 A.M July 6,2024 with Pastor Jim Dougans officiating. Burial will follow at the May's Lick Cemetery at the convenience of the family. A visitation will be held on Friday, July 5, 2024 from 5-8 P.M. at the church.  Palmer Funeral Home & Crematory of May's Lick is serving the family.

Send flowers, send cards, and send remembrances of this excellent man to his family, as they'd be well received but please also consider giving to organizations he dedicated his life to supporting; Maysville Troop 221- Boy Scouts of America, the First Presbyterian Church, Rotary Club of Maysville, and Comprehend Inc.

Many apologies, but here's one last dad joke, for Dan.

The man who created auto-correct has died. Restaurant in peace.