Jimmie Daniel

On March 4, 2025, Final Roll Call was held for Jimmie Gale Daniel, who passed away peacefully at the Joseph “Eddie” Ballard Western Kentucky Veterans Center in Hanson, Kentucky.

Jimmie was born April 9, 1939, in McHenry, Ohio County, Kentucky. He was preceded in death by his parents, Arvel Ray Daniel and Merle Howard, and a son, David Glenn Daniel.

Left behind to honor his memory and mourn his passing are his loving wife of nearly 64 years, Barbara Sue, of Madisonville; two sons, Jimmie Daniel Jr. of Nashville, Tennessee and Stephen (Kathy) Daniel of Slaughters, Kentucky; one daughter, Patricia (Tim) Wiles of Madisonville; seven grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

As his children, we wish to briefly commemorate our father’s great dedication to three ideals: family, community, and country. Dad’s resoluteness, sense of purpose, and selfless service in these three areas greatly impacted our family and touched the lives of others.

At 17, Dad joined the Navy and served as a radar man on the U.S.S. Newport News. After his tours of duty, he moved to Owensboro, Kentucky, where he enrolled at Kentucky Wesleyan College and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. To pay for college he took a full-time job as an officer on the Owensboro Police Department, where he earned the nickname “Mighty Mouse” for his can-do attitude. He received a commendation from the department and the local Red Cross in 1964 for rescuing a drowning man from the Ohio River. Later in his life, Dad self-published a book about his experiences on the police department, titled A Badge of Honor. He continued his military service by enrolling in the National Guard and becoming a Company Commander.

While working his police shift one day he spotted a young woman walking down the street in a polka-dot dress – and in his words she was “the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.” He pulled his cruiser over and asked her on a date. He soon married that beautiful woman, Barbara, and they began their journey together on July 5, 1961. Throughout his life, he was devoted to our mom, and to us, and even in the final weeks of his life he couldn’t resist giving husbandly and fatherly advice.

After Dad graduated the family moved to Hanson, Kentucky and he began work as a District Executive for the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years he encouraged many volunteer Scout leaders and young men and was always proud of “his” Eagle scouts. He also worked briefly for the Pennyrile Area Development District and continued his military service, transitioning from the National Guard to the Army Reserve.

In the 1980s, Dad shifted to a new career as an independent agent for Shelter Insurance. He and Mom worked together and eventually opened an office in downtown Madisonville. Dad’s military career continued as well and he was assigned as a tactical instructor, teaching for three months at a time at various military installations. For a brief period, he was called to active duty at the Pentagon during Desert Storm. He retired from the Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Dad believed in community service. He was a member of Noon Kiwanis, a lifetime member of the VFW, and a Kentucky Colonel, just to name a few. He served as a Hanson City Commissioner for several years, but his most influential service was in a less-visible role. For many years he served as a volunteer grant coordinator for the City of Hanson, donating hundreds of hours of his own time and driving many miles at his own expense to meet with state legislators and the Pennyrile Area Development District, seeking funds for the City of Hanson to install a new sewer system. He did not do this for recognition, but because he felt it was a citizen’s duty to use their skills and abilities to serve their community.

Dad’s love of family, community, and country – along with his passion for learning and education – are values that our family will treasure and always remember him by, and our lives, and the lives of his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and all his descendants will be forever influenced by his example.

To respect his wishes, we will honor Dad at a private family service. We wish to thank Barnett-Strother Funeral Home for handling Dad’s arrangements, and all the staff at the Western Kentucky Veterans Center for the loving, respectful care they provided to Dad during the final year of his life.

Our family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be offered in his memory to the Resident Activity Fund or Resident Christmas Fund at the Joseph “Eddie” Ballard Western Kentucky Veterans Center, 926 Veterans Drive, Hanson, Kentucky, 42413. Please note on your check that the donation is in memory of Jimmie Daniel and designated to the fund of your choice.