Dan Flores, 70, passed away August 14, 2016 at his home with his loving family near his side. He was born September 4, 1945 in Central, AZ to Isabel Tapia & Jose Flores.
Dan spent his younger years in Ashurst taking his dog and rifle to Red Knolls to play and practice shooting. The family moved to Central and all the Flores children attended the Thatcher schools. Dan had a love for baseball from a young age and began by playing little league and then high school baseball.
He graduated from Thatcher High School in 1963 and in 1965 he joined the U.S. Army where he proudly served his country in Vietnam as a crane operator for the 18th Engineer Company, 6th Army. While enlisted, he bought his 1967 Ford Mustang and when he purchased it it had less than 10 miles on the odometer. In 1968, Dan was honorably discharged and he secretly returned to Central where he surprised his mom at work.
In late 1968 Dan went with his sister Rosaline & Brother-in-law Mickey to visit relatives in Solomon and that is where he met Susan Gaona, his future wife and by 1970 they were married. He lived his whole life in the Gila Valley, from Ashurst to Central, then to Thatcher and the last 41 years in Safford. He worked mostly as an automotive parts man to support his family. He continued his love of baseball by playing in the men’s fast pitch league in the 70’s and 80’s at the Graham County Fairgrounds.
Dan is survived by his wife of 46 years, Susan, daughters, Michelle (Brian) Kuhn and Dee (Carlos Vargas) Flores, son, Joe (Joan) Flores, granddaughter, Sophie Vargas, sisters, Ruth, Carmen, Margurite, and brother, Chris Flores, mother-in-law, Lilia Gaona, sister-in-law, Connie (Nick) Contreras and many nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Isabel and Jose Flores, siblings, Rosaline, and Albert, niece, Deedee, nephew, Philip, father-in-law, Manuel Gaona and brother-in-law, Sonny Gauna.
Services for Dan will be held on Friday, August 19, 2016 at Caldwell Funeral Chapel beginning with a viewing at 1:00 p.m. with services to follow at 2:00 p.m. Interment will be in the Gila Valley Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Services are under the direction of McDougal’s Caldwell Funeral Chapel & Gila Valley Crematory. Online condolences may be extended at www.caldwellfuneralchapel.com.
