Daniel Alan Rickel

Daniel A. Rickel

Tulsa, OK – Dan Rickel,  62, a reclusive renaissance man died in Tulsa early Saturday morning, Sept 23, 2023. He was proud to be a Tulsa native, born September 28, 1960 to Walter L. Rickel and Jacqueline M. Rickel who brought him up to value honesty, integrity, hard work, and resourcefulness. Dan never had an idle moment the rest of his life.

This was an unexpected shock for Dan Rickel’s surviving wife, parents, siblings, nephew and cousins. We anticipate the shock to extend to both coasts as relatives, friends and co-workers realize Dan no longer has their back.

Dan was an impressive man in size, stature, and abilities. For the past 31 years Dan creatively exercised his technical analyst skills at Citgo Petroleum, most recently as Retail Marketing Technology Manager. Circa 1991, even though he was just a lowly circuit board technician, Dan was often tapped to lead corporate tours of the Telex Corporation campus because of his excellent speaking skills, quick wit, likeable demeanor, and height. Over the years he accumulated several degrees, culminating in an MBA in E-Business.

He enjoyed playing brass instruments and singing with the Citgo All Star Rock & Roll Review Band. Dan could have enjoyed a career in opera; he possessed a beautiful tenor voice, perfect pitch and impeccable rhythm. He trained at Kansas University for opera performance but abandoned that profession when the beauty of the music engulfed him and swept away the words. Besides, it is hard to have a thriving opera career when you don’t like being in the spotlight. For many years after college, he remained a proud member of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America. He occasionally sang by request (with lyrics in hand) and loved a good warehouse rehearsal with his band.

Some of his fondest memories were of his time spent with elderly neighbors; tinkering with motors and electronics, rigging up a lift, building a piece of furniture, making life a little easier, eating some cornbread and beans. His family and friends remember him as a fierce protector, putting himself at risk of significant bodily harm in order to protect them. He had a special relationship with dogs, especially those abandoned or abused.

Dan is survived by his wife, Donna Roley, parents Walter Rickel and Jacqueline Rickel, siblings David Rickel, Jennifer Rickel (Dean Dretske), nephew Matthew Dretske all of Tulsa, and his sister Jana Rickel (Steve Crawford) of Seattle, WA. He also leaves behind a loving aunt and cousins.

There will be no funeral or memorial service. Instead, we ask that you consider signing up to be a potential tissue and organ donor within 24 hours of your death. If that is just too much, please spay/neuter your dog/cat and be a rescue hero!

In lieu of flowers please donate to Animal Aid of Tulsa in memory of Dan.

 You can find his online memorial and leave a tribute at https://www.mcelyea-owens.com/listings

Animal Aid of Tulsa donations:   https://donorbox.org/donations-in-memory-of-dan-rickel

Animal Aid of Tulsa
6811 East 21st Street, Tulsa OK 74129
Tel: 1-918-794-6688
Web: https://donorbox.org/donations-in-memory-of-dan-rickel

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Daniel Alan Rickel, please visit our floral store.