Daniel Jacob Theiss

Dan was born at 11:14am on Thursday October 20th, 1994 just five minutes before his twin brother. He was the first-born twin, and he came out with a strong heart. Growing up Dan was able to adjust his personality given the situation. He could have a calm demeanor or could be the life of the party. Dan could get along with anyone and his laughter was bright and contagious. Dan had a unique ability to make anyone laugh no matter the situation. He was the strongest guy because of that.

Dan was a devoted brother more than anything and loved doing activities that could bring him and his brothers closer together. He looked up to his older brother and loved that he could share his passion for Tae-Kwon-Do and band with him. Dan would stay up all night to play video games with them, talk to them, and be there for them. Dan also loved to compete with his siblings but made sure everyone was still laughing by the end of the game. He loved playing strategy board games with his brothers. Sometimes the games would last 14 hours over multiple days.

He was proud of his older brother becoming a pilot so much so that he flew to Colorado after having heart failure so he could see him graduate. He was there for his twin at the hospital to support him during hardships from their shared genetic disease. He showed his twin the ropes of being in a wheelchair and always made him laugh to make sure he never felt alone. No matter the circumstances he was always there to help his brothers through anything. He cherished his little brothers and was excited to fly out to see them when he had the chance.

Dan was an amazing artist and as a kid wanted to be a cartoonist. He asked for special paint so he could draw on the walls when his childhood home was renovated. After middle school he found out that he loved running as much as he loved art. He was a distance and mid distance runner for the West Babylon team in New York and Mason track team in Ohio. He loved his teams. Even as an adult he still wore his track sweatshirts. Dan would cheer his teammates on in every race he could and was always determined to reach out and support a struggling teammate on and off the track. His determination to grow was evident in how hard he worked to improve his times, spending months to improve his mile time below 8 mins and his 800 time to below 2 minutes and 45 seconds.

Dan was never afraid to make his own path no matter what others would think. After being paralyzed in 2013 he would never back down from a challenge. He would drive himself to parks with high hills just so he could conquer them. He was a member of the wheelchair basketball team and was the goalie for his sled hockey team. As Dan’s love for wheelchair sports grew, so did his love for his teammates. He drove across states to grow as a player and show his support. He loved to teach disabled children how to play wheelchair sports. His devotion to teach children and encourage them to conquer their disability was unwavering. No matter the time of day or the weather, he would be there. He showed his support for his teams by creating websites, making donations, and spreading the word to his community.

Dan met his fiancée Elizabeth in June of 2018, and their love made both of them happier than they could have imagined. Dan was an incredibly thoughtful partner and gave so much of his heart every day. He was selfless and supportive, and always told her that together they would take over the world. They enjoyed traveling and adventuring together, especially trying and making new foods. They moved to Houston, Texas together in 2019, and were engaged on his birthday that year. He completed his degree in Medical Billing and Coding in hopes of pursuing a new career just a few weeks later. They just expanded their little family with a new puppy that they were training to become a therapy dog so they could volunteer together in hospitals to bring hope to those with spinal cord injuries. He was dedicated to his family, friends, his upcoming wedding, and the family they wanted to have together. His love was a powerful, life-changing force that brought light to us all, with so many cherished memories.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, we would like to remember Dan by giving to those teams that he was a part of. We would also appreciate it if you left a memory or photo on the Dignity Memorial website so that we can collect and share our wonderful times together.

To donate to the Cincinnati Dragons wheelchair basketball team, please visit: https://www.cincinnatidragons.com.

To donate to the Cincinnati Icebreakers sled hockey team

Checks should be made out to

OSH-Cincinnati

7588 Trailwind Drive

Cincinnati, OH 45242

or send a Venmo to 'Cincinnati Sled Hockey' and include Dan's name in the message

To donate to the Houston Hellhounds sled hockey team, please visit: https://www.hellhoundshockey.org/donate.

Donations to Mason Track and Field can be sent to:

Mason HS Athletic Department,

6100 Mason Montgomery Rd.,

Mason, OH 45040.

Checks should be made out to "Mason HS Athletic Department" and please Write Dan Thiess Track Fund in the memo.

Celebrating the life of Daniel Jacob Theiss

Time: Apr 25, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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