Eric Todd Danhof Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

ERIC TODD DANHOF age 53 departed this world on December 25, 2020 at his home in Upland, California, after a heroic year and a half long battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family at the time of his passing. Eric was born August 8, 1967 in Lafayette, Indiana and grew up in Carbondale, Illinois. He also lived for a short stint in South Africa that had a huge impact on him, but his heart was always in what he considered to be his true home, Montana, where he spent summers and vacations with his family. Eric loved the outdoors and Montana provided the best adventure playground a young boy could ask for. He received his BA in English Language Arts at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and then attended Ohio University in Athens Ohio, earning his MA in International Affairs: Latin American Studies. Eric moved to Southern California in 1992 where he began his career in education at West Valley Christian School in West Hills. He taught English, coached and served as their English Department Chair. His upper classmen described him as “the coolest teacher ever” when he performed the tunes of Elvis on his guitar and sang to them in his best baritone. Eric moved to Ontario in 1996 and taught History and English at Ontario Christian, became the athletic director and while there earned the coveted teacher of the year award. He was the student body and staff’s favorite teacher; always strumming his guitar, talking with his fake Austin Powers teeth in his mouth, having students deliver random and funny notes to other teachers and throwing Skittles from his pocket to his students. Eric made his class a joy to be a part of for all. He met the love of his life, Debbie, while Teaching at Ontario Christian in 1998. Her daughter Jenessa was a student in Eric’s History class and she encouraged him to ask her mom out. Eric asked Debbie to go on a date with him during an Ontario Christian football game, in the first row of the bleachers with all the fans present, including Debbie’s parents, and she said yes! Eric had a well-rounded intellect that won Debbie over. They were married on December 29, 2001 and he received the immediate blessing of fatherhood to Debbie’s children Jake, Jenessa, and Jenae, who he had already grown to love with his entire being. Two and a half years later on June 10, 2004 he met the second love of his life with the birth of his daughter, Trista. Eric considered the birth of his daughter the most important accomplishment of his life. His wife and children were the beloved center of his world and the foundation of his life. His fondest memories were with his daughter, Trista, during their vacations together, trips to Moab and skiing in Montana. Eric did have a third love in his life, his Boston Terrier, Ollie, who at certain times he might have loved more than anything else in his life. Eric also had a love of Lays Potato Chips, a passion he passed on to Ollie, the only living creature that might love chips more than Eric. Eric joined the Chaffey District in 2001 as an English teacher and coach at Ontario High School where he also served as the English Dept Chair. He began his administrative career in the Chaffey District in 2006 working for eight years as an assistant principal at Etiwanda High School and then two years at Montclair High School. Eric then served as an assistant principal at Colony High School for one year before being appointed to become the Principal at Colony. He was having a significant and positive impact on student achievement and staff development, before his career was cut short by the diagnosis of an extremely rare and terminal small cell bladder cancer. For Eric serving as the Principal of Colony High School was his favorite career accomplishment. Eric was a quiet leader who quickly gained the respect of staff, students, and families wherever he served. He was always a teacher at heart and served as a mentor and leader in a style where you didn’t realize how much you were learning from him. His subdued facial expressions and physical stature would initially intimidate some people, giving the false impression that he was unapproachable, like an imposing football player, which could not have been farther from the truth. Ironically, Eric never played football, but he did excel as a competitive swimmer in high school. He was also extremely intuitive which added to his success in bringing out the best his people. Those who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him saw firsthand that he was a caring, compassionate, and kind man who would do just about anything to help those around him. His stoic exterior would melt away quickly and he was affectionately referred to as a “big old teddy bear” by his colleagues. Eric had a notable place in his heart for special needs students who would light up every time they saw him, but that paled in comparison to how much as he would light up at the sight of them! The students and staff in the Chaffey district who knew Eric loved him. Eric was a master wordsmith who economized his words, which made it difficult for some to understand the multidimensional man that was Eric Todd Danhof. He was genuine, intelligent, adventurous, humorous and humble with a presence that was understated rather than hyperbolic, except perhaps when recalling some of his adventures from hunting, hiking and fishing. Eric was an intellectual who could comfortably discuss and debate any topic from current affairs, religion, education, sports, politics, food and rock music. He could watch a Denver Bronco’s football game while loading bullets and at the same time with his literary prowess engage in an in-depth discussion of the literature of Henry David Thoreau. He was also extremely humorous and had an effortless way of making people laugh. Those who had the good fortune to really know him, enjoyed his wit and would spend hours laughing during their time with him. Eric thought of himself as extremely organized and if you spent time with him at the immaculate and extensive work bench in his garage you might have believed it. One look, however, in his junk drawer packed with more odds and ends than one, or even two, drawers could hold, or a peek in his closet stuffed with hundreds of wrinkled t-shirts perhaps would tell another tale. And then there was his collection of books, filling several spaces hidden throughout the house. Eric claimed to know where everything was located, which one might call organized and another might characterize as borderline hoarder. He was not fond of suits, collared shirts or wearing ties. He wore them for work begrudgingly, but after a long day at work, he rebelliously managed to make them look comfortable with his tie loosened, a wrinkled and half untucked shirt, along with his disheveled hair. Sometimes he managed to start the day that way. Eric had a wide variety skills and hobbies that he was passionate about: playing guitar in a band, hiking, camping, swimming, reading, hunting, and reloading. His passion for music drew large crowds to the local venues where his band, the Motherscratchers, would perform and Eric’s guitar would fill the dance floor with adoring fans. Playing in the band also afforded him the opportunity to enjoy another of his favorite pastimes enjoying a beer or fine whiskey with friends. Eric’s passion for the outdoors remained even after he moved to California and he spent a generous amount of his time in Mt Baldy and Mammoth. He never met a summit he didn’t want to reach, climbed Mt Baldy 10 times from five different routes, and recently successfully completed the 6 Pack of Peaks reaching the summits of Mt Wilson (5710’), Cucamonga Peak (8,859’), Mt Baldy (10,068’), San Bernardino (10,649’), San Jacinto (10, 834’) and San Gorgonio (11,503’). Eric loved spending time with his family at home in his chair, which always included the dog in his lap, but his favorite place in the house was in the garage at his workbench. He enjoyed times of peace and quiet, but also loved getting together on the holidays with his extended family. Eric cherished the intellectual camaraderie that he had with his father and their trips to Texas to hunt wild boar. He idolized his brother, Scott and although he lived in Ohio they spoke frequently during many of Eric’s drives home from work. Eric loved his sister Kim and had fond memories of growing up with her: hiking, riding horses and spending time at the lake in Carbondale. Eric also relished the fact that he and his sister had children close in age so that Trista would have cousins that she could grow up with. Some things that most people may not have known about Eric: he loved a bowl of cereal for dinner (Cherrios was his favorite), he won the lottery on a Powerball ticket, he was an avid reader and had hundreds of books, he spoke Spanish, he sometimes dreamed of being a travel adventure writer, he enjoyed planting trees, he had a large cactus garden and it amused (actually it annoyed) Eric when people mistakenly called him Dan and/or spelled his last name with two fs. Some of his accomplishments left incomplete include finishing the work he began as the principal of Colony High School, writing an inevitable best-selling novel and summiting Mt. Whitney for the second time. Eric fought a valiant battle with cancer, enduring extensive chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Although his cancer was deemed terminal from the onset he never gave up hope that he could somehow overcome for his family. Eric was a beloved husband, father, brother, son, friend, and colleague. He is survived by his wife, Debbie his children Trista, Jake and Katie, Jenessa and Phil, and Jenae and Steven; 9 amazing grandchildren; his father Ken and wife Mary; his brother Scott and wife Melanie; his sister Kim and husband Shane; and his Boston Terrier, Ollie. Eric was preceded in death by his mother Beverly. Due to the pandemic private services will take place for immediate family in California, a graveside service to follow in Montana during the spring, and a larger celebration of life service will be scheduled in California at a future date for extended family, friends and colleagues. Eric’s remains will be laid to rest in Montana in the family plot. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to cancer research.

Eric Todd Danhof

August 8, 1967 - December 25, 2020