Backstory

Dan Wendell was the second of five children and spent much of his youth in Anderson Township and attended Wilson Elementary and Turpin Middle Schools before our family moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1992.  Following our return to Ohio, he graduated from Mason High School, then the Ohio State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature.  

 

His interests were many and his passions deep.  He was a Buckeye through-and-through, especially proud to be there for a National Championship season in his senior year.  He was an avid reader, remodeled a 90-year-old house and loved to cook for his family and friends, often with his much-used Weber Smoker. He was devoted to his work as a Third Grade Reading textbook editor at McGraw-Hill Publishing in Columbus, but more importantly, he lived life to the fullest with a great group of friends and the love of his life, Emily.

 

Dan died in an accident in Michigan on February 7, 2015.  As his siblings searched for an appropriate charity for memorial contributions following his death, they came upon the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati. Over the past several years, our family has had the opportunity to get to know the people of the Literacy Network and understand how their mission has improved the lives of so many and the community in which we live. 

 

Golf was also always a part of his life.  He financed much of his education on the grounds crews at Crooked Tree Golf Course in Mason and Scioto Country Club in Columbus; and occasionally got a chance to play on a couple of very nice courses.

 

From that, the idea for “Dan’s 3-Putt for Literacy” was born to merge two of his passions into an effort to keep that passion alive and help support one of the most deserving charitable endeavors in the Greater Cincinnati area.  We invite you to join us for food, fun, and the celebration of a life well-lived.

 

Anne, Steve, Emily, Libby, Jeff, Kasey, Matt, Andy, Jenny, Maggie, and Trace