Daniel “Dan” “Sliver” Sonsalla
On Saturday, August 19, 2023, Daniel (Sliver) Sonsalla of Arcadia passed away suddenly doing something he loved for a good cause.
Daniel was born September 15, 1967, to James and Ruth (Slaby) Sonsalla. He married Jessica and had three daughters from that marriage: Jami, Shauna and Clarissa. They were later divorced. He was a loving dad and grandpa to two grandsons: Skyler and Elliott.
Dan was a hard-working man who took pride in his professions, previously at Ashley Furniture as a groundskeeper and then returning to Nelson Global. He also had two side businesses: DJS Flooring and Okie Dokie Karaoke and DJ service. With great pride for the city of Arcadia, he served as an Alderman and was currently the longest serving council member. It seemed time was limitless for him.
The highlight of each year was his annual goose hunting trip to North Dakota with his beloved hunting dogs, Chester and Lucy. Dan loved hosting his annual Broiler Days parade party, boasting his famous flip-flop chicken. If he wasn’t hunting, fishing, tending to the garden, or taking a “little tootle” on his motorcycle down the block to see his friends, “Sliver” could be found with his jars of candy, watching the Milwaukee Bucks or napping in his spot on the couch with his lapdog, “Mocha” and his bird named “Buddy” talking away.
Dan had a heart of gold and was always willing to help anyone whether he knew them or not. If you weren’t from town you may not have known who Dan was, but it seemed everyone sure knew “Sliver”. No matter what, you could always find him with a smile on his face. He was a child at heart and could make anyone laugh, everything was always more fun when he was around. He had a soft spot for his family and friends, which was almost everyone in town. He was a person who didn’t need many things to be happy in life and wouldn’t want anyone making a big deal of the way he lived, but would be the first one to say, “guess what I did on Saturday?!” He made the selfless decision to be an organ donor, so even though he is no longer with us, he will live on because this gift helped hundreds of people. In his life and death, Dan made an incredible impact on those he knew and the people he loved. He was unapologetically “Sliver” and did things his own way. He would say this isn’t goodbye, just “see you later.”
“Sliver” is survived by his mother; his three daughters; his two grandsons; his brother, Dean; sisters: Lyn, Laura, and Leanne; in-laws; nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father and his grandparents.
A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, September 1, 2023, beginning at 5:00 p.m., at the Arcadia Country Club. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred. To express condolences to his family online, please visit www.wozneykillianfh.com.
