Daniel Ewing

Daniel J. Ewing was a man with an amazing inner strength, the kind that filled him like a wellspring, and overflowed to the people around him. He was a man of strong character, of strong conviction, of devotion. But what Daniel Ewing had most of all, was strength of heart, and a love of life.

Daniel was born in Providence Hospital in Southfield, Mich. , on February 12, 1979 to Daniel R. and Ruth Ann. And early on, it was clear that Daniel was especially strong (and more than a little messy and accident prone). His mother would say he was half Pigpen and half Bam-Bam! But little "Bam-Bam" was walking by 7 1/2 months, and it wasn't long after that he learned to dance, boogying to those old Diet Pepsi commercials. He was always a good-natured son, and never went through the "rebellion" stage many children do, and never gave his parents a hard time.

Daniel always channeled his inner strength into something positive, whether it was school or sports. He loved all kinds of sports, and excelled at so many. He played little league baseball and was the first 9-year-old at the time to hit an out-of-the-park home run! He also played Catholic youth league basketball at St. Fabian. But he was also very strong, and he played football in grade school, middle school and at Brother Rice High School , where he was named All-County for one of the state's best football programs. He received the prestigious Brother Rice "Hard Nose" award in football for two successive years.

He attended St. Fabian Catholic Church elementary, Our Lady of Sorrows Middle School and Brother Rice H.S. and graduated in 1997.

He then attended Alma College and graduated with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in history. He also received his teaching certificate from Alma . But he didn't stop there. Alma gave Daniel a great education and so much more. His sophomore year in college he went to Dublin, Ireland for school, which became a life-changing event for him. He fell in love with Ireland ; its people, its history, and its culture. He also fell in love with traveling, and would do so often in his life.

Daniel's junior year was also life changing for him, when he met a young woman named Jennifer Ballinger. They had a class together, and quickly fell in love. They traveled together, to Ireland, to Las Vegas , and dated for years before becoming engaged this past Christmas. Daniel loved Jennifer's spirit, Jennifer loved Daniel's strength.

Daniel had big plans after his days at Alma . He wanted to pursue a master's degree in Modern European history at Loyola University in Chicago , but needed to study a language first. So he chose Spanish, and he and friend Rob left for Barcelona, Spain to learn Spanish first-hand. They had a great time there, but Daniel always had a good time wherever his travels took him. He had a strong heart, and an even stronger wanderlust. He studied in London and Beijing, and even backpacked through Europe with his cousin Angie and some friends. When his parents came to visit him on school break in Dublin , Daniel proved to be an excellent tour guide.

As bright and as vibrant and strong as Daniel was, his life wasn't without its hurdles. Daniel was in a major accident nearly four years ago, where he suffered a closed head injury. And he later re-injured himself in a ladder accident that caused him to suffer servere headaches. Sadly, these headaches caused him to fall just short of getting his Masters. He only had the thesis and he would have finished.

But while Daniel had to face these challenges, he would never be broken, and his strength was unbowed. He always thought that he would beat these symptoms and they would find a cure.

He spent a lot of time traveling back to Michigan from Chicago , where he and his father would consult many doctors. His dad was one of his best friends, and had his parent's fighting spirit and optimism. He was very close to his family, and talked constantly to them on the phone. He was very close to his brother Steven and sister Charla, who enjoyed going out to lunch with him and just hanging out in Chicago .

But Daniel also loved his life in the Windy City very much. He loved the hustle and bustle of the big city, which fit him well. And Jennifer followed Daniel to Chicago , to advance her career and to be close to him. Jennifer also recently completed the RCIA class to become a Catholic this past Easter at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Chicago , which pleased Daniel so much. He was a devout Catholic, and was her mentor in the faith (and her sponsor entering the Catholic Church).

Daniel was a mentor to many, in many different ways. Every Sunday, Daniel and his buddy Paul would cook Italian food and watch the Sopranos together. Daniel was quite a gourmet cook, and could make everything from Italian dishes to helping mom cook Christmas dinner, which he did three years ago for the entire family. Daniel loved to cook. He learned many recipes and cooking skills from his grandma Ewing.

But Daniel loved so many things, the way vibrant, passionate people do. Daniel loved the Chicago Cubs (and even named his cats Wrigley and Soxs). He loved to read. He loved to fish (and once caught a 58-inch blue lemon shark at the age of 9. It was taller than he was!). He loved to golf, and ski, and scuba dive. But most of all, Daniel simply loved life, and all the people that made it so special to him.

Once, on a family trip to Hawaii , his sister was swept up by the big waves and the undertow, carrying her out to sea. She frantically called for help, and then Daniel was there, grabbing her and pulling her to safety, saving her life. But that was Daniel: he saved so many. He saved them with his strength, with his spirit, with his passion. Daniel was born and blessed with a strong heart, and a love of life. And it's his love, and his strength, that live on in those who knew him today.

Daniel J, age 26, July 9, 2005. Dear son of Daniel R. and Ruth Ann. Loving fiancée of Jennifer Ballinger. Dearest brother of Charla (Dan) Simon and Steven. Proud uncle and Godfather of Sydney Simon. Dear grandson of Eileen. Also survived by many aunts, uncles and cousins. Visitation Monday 6-8pm and Tuesday 4-9pm with a scripture service at 7:30pm from McCabe Funeral Home, 31950 W. 12 Mile Rd. Funeral Wednesday instate 9:30am, mass 10am from St. Fabian Catholic Church. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com for more information.