Daniel London Wentz

Daniel London Wentz was born on February 4, 1942 to Joseph and Alta Mitchell Wentz. His father was a master welder from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and his mother was a teacher from Elizaville, Kentucky. Dan grew up in the home his father built in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Tragically, his father was only able to enjoy the home for a short time, passing away from leukemia when Dan was just entering grade school.
Feeling the financial pressure facing a single mother, young Dan felt an immediate need to step up and work. He took on numerous jobs simultaneously: delivering newspapers, selling gift wrap, light bulbs, or anything else he could carry on his bicycle. He even earned wages changing the lettering on the marquee at the local movie theater. This tireless work ethic remained strong throughout his entire life as he constantly juggled multiple jobs and projects.
As a young adult, another passion and scheme for additional income was raising St. Bernards. He did not bargain for what happened when his dogs, Bubba and Bonnie, produced their very first litter—an astounding 18 puppies! After spending weeks carrying and helping Bonnie feed her massive crew, Bubba was relegated to Dan’s favorite companion and became the beloved mascot for his youth football programs at Idle Hour and Shillito Park.
Dan was employed at the University of Kentucky right after graduating from Jessamine County High School in 1960, beginning in inventory for the physical plant. Soon after, as friends were being called up to serve in the Vietnam War, Dan and a close friend joined the military reserves, serving active duty stateside as munitions instructors.
Following his active service, he returned to the University of Kentucky. Over the decades, he advanced through various roles, including procuring insurance and handling diverse administrative assignments, ultimately serving in the business office for the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. After an incredible 63 years of dedicated employment and two retirements, he relinquished his job to a younger fellow, one with better knees to accommodate the oversight for some very old campus buildings’ maintenance and occupancy needs.
During his initial years at UK, and with the encouragement of his mother, Dan attended Eastern Kentucky University part-time and on a greater than four-year plan completed his Bachelor’s degree in History and Sports Management. Caring for his widowed and ill mother, working and attending college kept him grounded.
His profound love for sports led him to establish a church youth baseball team, which quickly expanded into a Sports Program in Nicholasville. Notably, this program boosted youth attendance in Bible Study at his home congregation, Nicholasville Baptist Church.
Dan devoted over 60 years of his life to coaching youth sports across baseball, football, and basketball. He was immensely proud of the young men he mentored and loved hearing “Coach Dan” called out to him wherever he went. Perhaps his proudest achievement in athletics was introducing the National Youth Sports Certification to coaches in the Lexington Parks and Recreation Department, adamantly advocating for safety standards on and off the field for all players and coaching staff.
Dan’s community involvement and athletic leadership sparked several enduring business ventures:
Champion Sport and Trophy: Recognizing the need for team awards, Dan initially bought parts and assembled trophies in his garage, soon expanding to screen-printing names and numbers on jerseys. This grew into Champion Sport and Trophy with a storefront in Lexington, outfitting thousands of caps, uniforms, and custom trophies.
Santa’s Forest Christmas Trees: Always seeking ways to contribute, Dan and several friends established Christmas tree lots across Lexington. They also supplied discounted trees to school bands for fundraisers, making annual road trips hauling trailers of trees from Michigan.
Peddler’s Malls: Introduced to Peddler’s Malls by a childhood friend, Dan operated multiple booths throughout Central Kentucky, retiring only in 2025 from the Frankfort Peddler’s Mall. His favorite items, inflatables to attract the children so their parents would make a purchase of something, and a particular political figure paraphernalia not permitted to be spoken of in one home.
With his tireless schedule, Dan had little time for conventional romance, but he built deep, lifelong bonds. He was embraced as family by the Waters family and their children, Walter and Rosemary. Rosemary remained a forever friend and investor across his business ventures. Together, they supported seasonal workers and formed a close bond with Steve Wilson, a bright and hardworking young man whom Dan mentored, supported, and deeply mourned when Steve passed away in December 2024.
Dan was also an avid player himself, playing men’s softball as a pitcher and team organizer well into his 70s—always the last to leave the ballpark turning the lights off as he left.
He gained a ready-made family with the Linville children when they were 11 and 13 years old, the ages he liked best. Accompanying them to band, dance, school sports and academic events, was a true time of enjoyment. Without the parenting responsibilities, he attended and encouraged them through their teen years into adulthood, enjoying an active home with grandparents and lots of extended family, a church family and the joys of those friendships. Through the various Hadden-Linville gatherings he often found himself on the church pew with the Hadden X’s (I have 3 brothers, and 11 sisters-in-law), a reference the sisters likely detest.
Dan purchased acreage in Franklin County where he relished life as a “city farmer.” He loved mowing, property maintenance, and tending a vegetable garden just as his grandfather had taught him. He loved his “farm”, although a favorite kitten, Emily Louise may have been the only animal not running wild there among the deer, turkey, raccoons, and more.
For all who knew Dan knew he loved all things UK. From theater and music to the football and basketball programs, he continued to be an active participant, traveling to many out-of-state games, rushing home after tournaments to be at his desk as the work week began. One would always find him in the stands decked out in blue and white, wearing his cap covering what the kids fondly referred to as his “chrome dome.”
It was a tortured time as dementia became a safety issue. He refused to recognize the symptoms he was experiencing, much more than occasional forgetfulness or losing keys, glasses, wallet, locating a parked vehicle, and so much more. Physician visits and evaluations pointed toward an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and with it the need to have help driving, working with farm implements, remembering to eat, to sleep, to dress. With a hospitalization in mid-May to a few days ago, his dementia took a nosedive and claimed his life at age 84.
His faith in God from a youngster remained intact. He loved worship, even enjoyed sitting through choir practice in the wings so as not to be a distraction and even once became lost as he sought the restroom and couldn’t find his way back.
With his extended family of Linville children grown and youth sports players grown, he loved the Woody girls and followed their dancing, swimming, soccer, tennis, show choirs and theater events, always asking, “Do the girls have any activities today?” loving Friday nights at ballgames and following their interests. The first time we witnessed true tears was a fall day at the University of Richmond, leaving an excited college student on her dorm steps!
It is with sadness we grieve Dan’s departure from our lives, but with celebration that he lives now with the God he loves, playing ball, being reunited with his family and friends and we look forward to seeing him again.
We’ve memories to share for years to come, the good ones, the painful ones, a hilarious outing as a surprise to take him to the ski slopes on his 50th birthday. Along the way he continually asked what we were doing and where we were going. As we approached the resort, he began to realize our destination. Being the good sport he was, but more at home on the field than the slopes, he tried. We didn’t master the Bunny Slope, but the laughter was contagious, harder than I ever remember, such fun.
I’m sure there are more stories to share as we knew him for only 40 of his 84 years, perhaps some of you might share them when we gather to enjoy our time celebrating “Dan”.
A very special thank you goes to Lacy, Isabel, Mindy, and Mary, the compassionate and loving caregivers at Lexington Country Place.
He leaves behind many dear friends and his adoptive family, the Linvilles, whose loving care brought him comfort in his final years.
Funeral services will be conducted at 12:00 PM Friday, August 28, 2026 at the Immanuel Baptist Church (Sisk Chapel) 3100 Tates Creek Road, Lexington, KY by Bro. Dan Russell. Burial will be in the Elizaville Cemetery, Elizaville, KY.
Visitation will be from 10:00 AM until the time of service on Friday, August 28, 2026 at the church.
Pallbearers will be Eric Sexton, Bobby Lewis, Kyle Miller, Ernie Byrd, Darren Linville, and Chris Parker.
Honorary pallbearers will be Ed Winkle, Don Sowers, Jack Supple, and Jesse Scruggs.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice in Dan’s memory or West Jessamine High School, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) 2101 Wilmore Road Nicholasville, KY 40356.
The funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Lusk-McFarland Funeral Home Chapel, 1120 Main Street, Paris, KY.
The online guestbook is at www.Lusk-McFarland.com and on our Facebook and You Tube page.