WOOSTER – Dr. Daniel Brown Houston of Wooster passed away at his home Saturday, June 22, with his wife of 55 years, Linda, by his side, following a 24-year battle against Parkinson ™s disease.Born June 24, 1941 in Concord, NH, Dan spent most of his childhood in Wappingers Falls, NY.
He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Land Management from Syracuse University ™s College of Forestry and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Dan also achieved the rank of 1st Lieut. in the U.S. Army as an Intelligence Officer stationed at Dugway Proving Ground in Dugway, UT.
An avid backpacker, outdoorsman and adventurer, Dan ™s exploits included skiing the mountain slopes of Vermont, hiking through the desert Southwest, and rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
His greatest adventure came eight years after being diagnosed with Parkinson ™s disease when he completed all 273 miles of The Long Trail ” stretching from the southern tip of Vermont to the Canadian border ” raising $30,000 for Parkinson ™s research and an additional $30,000 for The Long Trail-Green Mountain Club along the way.
Dan was a research professor in the forestry department at the Ohio State University ™s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) from 1971 – 1995, where he worked to genetically improve Yellow Poplar and White Pine trees in areas throughout the United States and even Russia.
In 1995 he and Dr. Jim McClenehan formed Sylvancare Forestry Consulting to help landowners improve their woodlots.Elected a Fellow in the Society of American Foresters in 2003, Dan also worked on the Wooster Shade Tree Committee, served on both the Wayne Metro Housing Board and Wayne County Community Action Board, and volunteered with troubled children at the former Boy ™s Village residential campus.
An active member of the Wayne County Democratic Party, Dan worked on local, state and national campaigns, and together with his wife Linda, was honored in 2010 with the Old Hickory Award, in recognition of their dedication and devotion to the local party.Preceded in death by his father Bradley Houston (2003), mother Margaret (Brown) Houston (1993), and son Eric Houston (2011), Dan is survived by his wife Linda (Strauss) Houston of Wooster, son Bill Houston of Wooster, granddaughter Delia Houston of New Albany, OH, grandson Jackson Bernhardt of Grove City, OH, grandson Cooper Bernhardt of Grove City, OH, brother David Houston of Danville, VT, brother Richard Houston and sister-in-law Bette (Malcomb) Houston of Southborough, MA.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 13 at Westminster Church House, 353 Pine St., Wooster beginning at 11 am, followed by an open house at Dan ™s home, 1823 Burbank Rd., Wooster.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Long Trail – Green Mountain Club, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center, VT 05677 or LifeCare Hospice of Wooster, 1900 Akron Rd., Wooster, OH 44691.
McIntire, Bradham & Sleek Funeral Home, 216 E. Larwill St., Wooster is assisting the family.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.mcintirebradhamsleek.com.
 

Memorial Contributions
The family asks in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Long Trail – Green Mountain Club, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center, VT 05677 or LifeCare Hospice of Wooster, 1900 Akron Rd., Wooster, OH 44691.

Service
Memorial Service on Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Westminster Church House, 353 Pine St., Wooster

Visitation
Family will receive friends following the service at Dan’s home, 1823 Burbank Rd., Wooster