Daniel Lee Trimble

After 78 years of strictly doing things his way, Dan finished his last project August 14th, 2026. 

Daniel Lee Trimble, 78, of Yankton, South Dakota, passed away surrounded by the love of his family on Friday, August 14, 2026 after complications from heart surgery.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 AM, on Thursday, August 20, 2026 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Yankton with Reverend Tom Anderson officiating. Burial will be in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Yankton with military honors provided by the Ernest-Bowyer VFW Post No. 791 and SD Air Force Honor Guard. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, on Wednesday, August 19 at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton with a vigil service at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the funeral at the church.

Born in Pennsylvania on June 6, 1948, Dan lived a life defined by service, compassion, humor, and an unwavering love for the people around him.

Dan proudly served in the US Air Force, with assignments in South Dakota, New Jersey, and Greenland. It was while stationed at Radar Hill in Pickstown, SD that he met his best friend, Bobbie Kelley - his waitress at Pete's Cafe. It was not love at first sight, but with his persistence, he convinced her. Dan was not always the Air Force poster child. During his service, Bobbie reportedly had to remove and later sew back on his stripes several times - a fitting example of the personality and independent spirit that would follow him throughout his life.

Family brought them back to South Dakota. Dan and Bobbie helped operate Rest Haven Resort & Ballroom in Lake Andes. Dan later earned his Master's Degree from the University of South Dakota and spent many years as a counselor at Vocational Rehabilitation and Benedictine Family Services in Yankton. His commitment to helping others continued throughout his career, as he touched countless lives with his kindness, wisdom, humor, and willingness to listen.

Through their vision, Dan and Bobbie created Yesterday's Cafe and The Lighthouse restaurants. These businesses became a significant part of their story and are perhaps what they are most known for. The people who worked with Dan and Bobbie became part of their extended family, and Dan left a lasting impression on many of them. Known for his generous heart and ability to bring out the best in everyone, Dan had a gift for making people feel valued, whether they were customers, employees, or strangers.

One of Dan's favorite places in the world was Ocean City, New Jersey, where he shared countless memories with his entire family. He didn't keep the magic of Ocean City just for himself - he also took groups of employees on vacations there, creating special experiences and memories for the people who worked alongside him. For Dan, sharing a good time with others was one of life's greatest pleasures.

Dan was a gifted storyteller (often repeating the same story over and over and over - how his stories will be missed), and those who knew him will remember not only the stories he told, but the laughter and conversations that came with them. He had a way of turning even the simplest moment into a memory worth keeping. He could make you feel like you had all the time in the world to sit, listen, laugh, and enjoy the moment. He loved music, especially the pop music of the 1980s and 1990s, and had very little patience for country music. He was also a true car enthusiast and could often look at a classic car and immediately tell you its year, make, and model.

Above all, Dan treasured his family. His three daughters and the three men who married them - whom he never considered mere sons-in-law because they truly were his sons - were among his greatest joys: Kerry Woehl, his "favorite oldest child," and Toby; Kristy Marquis, his "favorite middle child," and Tony; and Katrina Gall, his "favorite youngest child," and Andy. Dan leaves behind a lifetime of memories and a family who will continue to find pieces of him in the stories they tell, the places they return to, the music they hear, and the people whose lives he made a little better. His was a life well lived, generously shared, and deeply loved.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years Bobbie; his daughters, Kerry, Kristy, and Katrina, and their spouses: Toby Woehl, Tony Marquis, and Andy Gall; grandchildren: Brittany (Josh) Wagner, Brook (Jaclyn) Woehl, Brody Woehl (Johan Trotter), Natasha Marquis, Alexes (Rob) West, Yasmeen (Jaydon) Polivka, Zoe (Nick) Schmidt, Mazie Marquis, Kelby Kruse, Owen, Ashtyn, and Lauren Dooley, Elly and Eve Gall; great-grandchildren: Morgan Wright, Dawson, Maddox, Cole, and Wrigley Wagner, and Juniper, Sawyer, and Clover Woehl; sisters, Dolores Franckowiak and Linda Trimble; sister-in-law, Terry (Steve) Hansen; brothers-in-law: Joe (Lisa) Kelley, Jim Kelley, John (Geri) Kelley; along with numerous nieces and nephews; and his close Ocean City family friend, Tom Gargan.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Margaret Trimble; his special parents-in-law, Barney and Mildred Kelley; his brothers, Ernie and Bob Trimble; his sister-in-law, Tracy Kelley, and brother-in-law, Scott Kelley.