Death is not extinguishing the light; it is turning off the lamp because the dawn has come -R. Tagore

Daniel Joseph Kormylo, age, 78, of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, passed away on February 10, 2022 surrounded by his loved ones. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 14, 1943, of Ukrainian ancestry, Dan was the third of five children born to John and Anne Kormylo. He is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Susan Wasden Kormylo, and four of their children: Matthew (Vanessa) Kormylo, Julie Todd, Amy (Nate) Smith, and Daniel (Portia) Kormylo. Also daughter-in-law Kim (Nick) Kormylo, fifteen beloved grandchildren, and brother, Phil (Jean) Kormylo. Dan was preceded in death by his eldest, beloved son, Nicholas Kormylo, his parents and four siblings.

Dan was an accomplished athlete in high school and lettered in four sports: football, basketball – leading the team in scoring and rebounding - track, and baseball. In track he held school records in the 100, 220 and 440 yard dashes. Dan was awarded Minnesota Valley All-Conference Player and was elected team captain of the football team for his senior year. But that was not to be, as the family moved that summer to Thermopolis, Wyoming, a warmer climate for his father's health. As a senior, Dan became an All-State player at Thermopolis High, was elected Senior Class Vice-President and was a member of the National Honor Society. Following high school, Dan played football at Utah State University in Logan, UT for one year before leaving on an LDS mission. When he got home, he met the love of his life (Susan), graduated with his MBA from the University of Utah and went on to have successful careers in both sales & IT.

Dan's family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was fourteen years old. At age 19, Dan served a two-year church mission teaching of the Savior's redemption in the Toronto, Canada area. Through the years, he held various callings in the church with an emphasis on scouting, and was a beloved home teacher. Dan and Susan served a local 18 month inner-city mission in 2019-2021. After a move to Baton Rouge, LA in 2002, Dan was called to be Bishop of the Baton Rouge Young Single Adult Ward near the LSU Campus. Even twenty years later, many of his cherished young adult members have kept in touch with him. He served with love and had a heart of gold, never shying away from a good joke (which usually had him laughing at the seams at the midpoint). Dan's punch lines were always worth the wait.

Susan and Dan met at Idaho State University. Fifty-five years later the love is much deeper and will last forever. They raised a beautiful family together. Susan does know, however, that Dan was never happier than when he was reeling in a beautiful rainbow trout, or best of all, a freshwater Kokanee salmon, especially with one of his children or grandchildren. The family will cherish the many memories of family trips, water skiing, camping, boating, fishing, and especially, individual trips with their Dad on his Honda motorcycle.

Sadly, Dan was confronted with health issues over the last twenty-five years. Even though He had to hang up the golf clubs after finally breaking par, he never let his health get in the way of a chance to catch a fish. He mastered his craft at Strawberry Reservoir, with downriggers and Rapalas. It is safe to say that most of the fish in that lake have a personal story of Big Dan. On February 10, 2022, Dan finally succumbed to an aggressive cancer diagnosed just four months earlier.

To Dan
You can now stand tall Dan, all 6 foot 3 inches, and put away the hospital bed, the walker and the cane and greet all those waiting for you on the other side, your Redeemer, son Nick, and many of your family members. We celebrate you for a job well done. The dark night of a broken body is gone and a new dawn has appeared.

For Us:
Dan promised to send his love by the appearance of a blue bird. We'll be watching…

Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, February 19th, 11:00 am. at the Cottonwood Heights 4th Ward LDS Chapel 2522 E. 6710 S. Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121. Viewing at the same location, Friday the 18th, 6-8 pm., and 10-11 am. preceding the service on Saturday.

A Zoom Link can be found at http://www.cwh4thward.com/. More information available at wingmortuary@mac.com

Internment: Lehi Cemetery 1100 North 400 East, Lehi, UT. A Luncheon will be at Cottonwood Heights 4th Ward LDS Church, 2522 E. 6710 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84121 following the interment.