STOUGHTON - Dan L. Hvam passed away on Friday, March 14, 2025, in the comfort of his home with his wife Kari by his side. He fought metastatic prostate cancer with resilience, strength and a generosity of spirit until the very end. He was 75 years old.
Dan was born on April 15, 1949, in Stoughton, Wis., to Leo and Barbara (Neath) Hvam, the third of four children who grew up on the family farm in the Town of Rutland. Dan loved life on the farm, where he and his siblings helped raise animals and tobacco crops each year, instilling in him both the value of hard work and importance of family.
As a kid, Dan attended South Side Elementary, played little league baseball, and participated in Triangle Troopers 4-H club. But his favorite way to spend the day was at Badfish Creek, fishing for trout, catching frogs and shooting gophers with his bow.
Although he tried baseball, he fell in love with fast pitch softball at age 14, when his older brother decided he wanted to be a pitcher and needed a catcher. Dan was the right little brother for the job…and a natural backstop.
After graduating from Stoughton High School, Dan enrolled in basic training at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, and was a member of the U.S. Army National Guard from 1968-1974. But softball remained his greatest joy, and he continued to play locally.
In 1975 he was recruited to join Madison’s esteemed Farm Tavern team, part of the International Softball Congress, where he played for five years and was named the ISC’s All-World Catcher in 1978. He later moved to California to play for the Camarillo Kings before returning to play for The Farm until he retired in 1985. He cherished his days playing ball and the teammates who remained friends until his death.
During this time, Dan became a father and experienced the first of what he called the “best things in his life” when his daughter, Brianna, was born. He was what you’d consider a cool dad, a quiet but steady presence, and remained a devoted father and later a loving grandfather.
Life after softball included a degree from Wisconsin School of Electronics and a “real” job doing IT work for ICS Incorporated and later Qualixserv. Work was part of Dan’s life but never what defined him. He always had time for the people and things he loved, like pheasant hunting or musky and walleye fishing on the Madison lakes, in Northern Wisconsin and Canada.
The second of the “best things in his life” came in 1993, when Dan married Kari S. Manson. Dan and Kari loved each other, their families and many friends with unbridled enthusiasm. They enjoyed their life on the lake - both the quiet times and the lively gatherings. And they were equally happy traveling to New York City and the Florida Keys as they were watching old movies at home.
Whether you ran into Dan on the golf course, at the dog park, a home talent baseball game, getting groceries at Pick ‘N Save, at the VFW or the Utica Bar, he would greet you with a smile and a hug. He will be missed by so many.
Dan is survived by his wife, Kari; daughter, Brianna (Jeff) Dimond; grandchildren, Emmy and Tessa; brother, Arden (Vicki) Hvam; sisters, Patsy Strasburg and Debra (Dana) Mackenzie; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his nephew, Jeffery Hvam; his parents and grandparents.
A celebration of Dan’s life will be held at COACHMAN’S GOLF RESORT, in the pavilion, 984 County Road A, just east of Stoughton, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, 2025. A private burial will take place at Graves Cemetery, not far from Dan’s family farm.
Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson Stoughton
Funeral & Cremation Care
1358 Highway 51 N. at Jackson St.
(608) 873-4590
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