Danny W. "Dan" McConnell, 78, of Cedar Falls, passed away at his home on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, while under the care of Cedar Valley Hospice.

Dan was born on August 28, 1945, in Algona, Iowa, the son of Francis and Etheline (Muckey) McConnell. He grew up in Algona and graduated from high school in 1963. After high school, Dan moved to Des Moines, where he worked in the parts department for a local auto dealer. It was there, he met Janet Rhinehart and the two were married on August 28, 1965, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. Dan and Janet were blessed with two sons, Brian and Bradley. The family relocated to Hampton, where Dan worked as a parts manager for a local Chevy dealership. They settled in Waterloo, and Dan worked as a car salesman. In 1975, Dan became the owner of University Motors, retiring on December 31, 2016, after 41 years of hard work and dedication to his business.

He was a member of the Waterloo Elks Club, was a fundraiser for the UNI Panther Scholarship Club, and was a member and past president of the Iowa Auto Dealership Association. Dan was an avid fisherman, enjoyed traveling the world with his wife Janet, he was a hot air balloon pilot for 20 years, and loved Harley Davidson motorcycles. He was a diehard UNI Panthers fan, being a football and basketball season ticket holder for over 40 years; he and a few friends were the original group to tailgate at UNI football games, and called themselves the 'UNI Fun Bunch', established in 1983. What was most important in life to Dan was spending time with his family, and he cherished and doted on his two granddaughters; cooking them breakfast was a staple for him. Dan was selfless, driven, and hard working. He will be dearly missed by his loving family.

Dan is survived by his wife, Janet of Cedar Falls; sons Brian (Christine) McConnell of Holmen, WI and Brad McConnell of Cedar Falls; granddaughters Brianna and Calleigh McConnell of Holmen, WI; sisters Vicki Nelson of Algona, Susie (Steve) Hellman of Ankeny, Sandy McConnell, Debra (Gary) Prohaska of Seattle, WA, Susan Bromen of Minneapolis, MN and Sheree Sommer of Shoreview, MN. He was preceded in death by his father, Francis & Arline McConnell; and mother, Etheline Allis; brother-in-law Durwood Nelson.

A memorial visitation will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Locke at Tower Park, 4140 Kimball Ave., Waterloo, Iowa. The memorial service will be held on Friday, February 16, 2024, at 11:00 AM at Locke at Tower Park. Memorials may be directed to the family, who will designate to an organization at a later date, or to Cedar Valley Hospice.