Wednesday, September 2, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Obituaries (continued from page 8) Sisters will be busy over Labor Day weekend Daniel Joseph Appenzeller July 8, 1956 – August 21, 2020 Daniel J o s e p h Appenzeller, age 64, died peacefully at home from complications of cancer on Friday, August 21 in Sisters. Dan was born on July 8, 1956, in Oxnard, California to Mitch (Mildred) and Bill Appenzeller. He married the love of his life, Crista Munro, on October 5, 1996. One of his biggest joys in life was their son, Elias Appenzeller, 23 of Eugene. Dan was the kind of person who could pick up any instrument and play it well, but his passion was the guitar. Not many people knew what a great musi- cian and songwriter Dan was because he didn9t often play publicly. Those who were fortunate enough to hear him perform can attest to the depth of his hidden gift. He was an avid surfer during his time in California, then found a passion for fishing, snowboarding, hik- ing and camping after mov- ing to Colorado in 1991. He also collected coins and was becoming quite an accomplished crossword puzzler. After moving to Eugene in 2011 for health reasons, Dan became a diehard Oregon Duck fan and loved to host football parties for his friends every Saturday during the season. In 1996, Dan and Crista put on their first music event, The Four Corners Folk Festival, in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The festival became wildly successful largely due to Dan9s unique talent for dis- covering and presenting amazing young musicians, along with seasoned pro- fessional touring acts. By the time he retired in 2019, their nonprofit organization FolkWest was producing two annual festivals and two educational music camps a year. Dan9s family really couldn9t comprehend just how much of a far-reaching impact he had on the world until after his passing, when a tidal wave of love and memories flooded their phones and social media feeds. Dan had a way of communicating with people that made them feel like they were the most impor- tant person in the world. He made it easy to get caught up in his passion for music and all the complexities of the performers on the festi- val stage when you saw him watching in the audience with his trademark daz- zling smile lighting up his face. Dan is survived by his wife, Crista; son, Elias; siblings, Rob Appenzeller, Tina McDonald, Katie A p p e n z e l l e r, Vi c t o r i a Appenzeller (Quincy), S h e l l e y A p p e n z e l l e r (Mike Chapman), John Appe nz elle r an d To m Appenzeller (Ana); and 15 Wishing you enjoyable and safe Labor Day travels! 9 nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family (and Dan) request that you exercise your right to vote in November, as if your life depends on it.