Daniel Anthony Riedl

Daniel Anthony Riedl, 67, retired software engineer, beloved spouse and father, died Friday, June 30, 2023, after a 27-year-long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Dan was born in Great Bend, Kan., and spent his childhood with his four siblings in Otis, Kan., where he went to Otis-Bison High School. Dan attended Kansas State University on an ROTC scholarship and graduated summa cum laude. He was a Wildcat for life, and for many years was known on the block for his purple K-State-themed mailbox and large Powercat-shaped lighting fixture that shone bright purple on the fence. After graduation, he served proudly in the Army for four years, and often told his kids Army stories which frequently involved “blowing things up.” This fascinated the kids much to his wife’s chagrin. Once his Army days had concluded, he took a job in the big city - Wichita - as a computer programmer at a company then known as NCR. It frequently changed names and is now known as NetApp. There he was a superstar performer, and he has four patents registered under his name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. His work has been cited in a variety of tech applications, ranging from Sony Motion Pictures’ electronic film storage, to AI-powered file transfers at Bank of America, to the manufacturing of LG laundry machines. He met his future spouse, Catherine, at the Padilla Club, a matchmaking organization for Catholic singles in Wichita. They were married in 1986 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Andover. He used to say he remembered the year they were married because it was “the year the Royals won the World Series plus one.” Together, Dan and Cathy have two sons - Mark and Matthew, now 33 and 30, respectively. The family went on many fun-filled vacations, including multiple trips to California, to Disneyland and Disney World. He insisted on getting a rental car and driving on these trips, even through the gridlock of Los Angeles. Dan was devastated to receive a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at the young age of 40. Despite this, he continued living his hard-charging life, remaining actively involved in his children’s lives. For many years he was heavily involved in the local AYSO youth soccer league, both as a coach and on the Board of Directors. He always enjoyed watching his children’s hobbies and pursuits, especially musicals and piano concerts. As the years passed and his children went through their formative years, his Parkinson’s disease became progressively more debilitating, both physically and mentally. The disease sapped away many of the hallmarks that defined Dan, though he was still able to witness many key moments in his children’s lives - their college graduations, his son Matt’s wedding, and meeting his two grandchildren, Henry and Maren. His wife, Cathy, was his ultimate caretaker late in life and kept fighting for him when many doctors and others gave up on him. She truly embodied the marital vow of care “through good times and bad.” Dan is preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Theresa (Schenk) Riedl; brother, Patrick Riedl, brother-in-law, Bruce Bryant; and parents-in-law, John and Agnes DiSante. He is survived by his wife, Catherine Riedl; brothers, Joe Riedl (Martha) of Leon, Kan., and Tom Riedl (Roberta) of Boston, Mass.; sister, Kathy Bryant of Albuquerque, N.M.; sister-in-law, Linda Buckingham of Seattle, Wash.; stepmother-in-law, Doris DiSante of Wichita, Kan.; son Mark Riedl, of Andover, Kan., and son, Matthew Riedl (Sydney) of Lansing, Mich.; grandchildren, Henry and Maren Riedl of Lansing, Mich. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to: St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 123 N. Andover Road, Andover, KS 67002. Services in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.