They are not stars but holes in heaven where our loved ones can look down upon us and smile. Daryl passed away at home on January 21, 2026. Daryl was born into a military family, where they moved often. Born in Michigan, the family lived in New Mexico, California, Florida, Scotland and Delaware. He knew he wanted to be a biologist from an early age, and pursued bachelor and master degrees in fisheries management at New Mexico State University. A brief invitation from Uncle Sam(drafted) sent Daryl to the US Army in Ft. Bragg, NC, then he returned to the University of Louisville to work on a PhD in water ecology. In 1976, he was offered a permanent fisheries biologist position with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone not only offered him a career but he met a wild and crazy Wyoming girl who would capture his heart and they began a journey of 47 years together. In 1980 Daryl transferred to the Blackfeet Reservation on a cooperative agreement to establish instream flows for fisheries and worked as the manager of the Creston Fish Culture Center outside Kalispell, MT. In 1984 they moved to Denver as a fisheries biologist for the Mountain and Plains Region, and Regional Coordinator for western states in the Federal Aid Program. Daryl retired in 2005 and followed Judy’s career back to Yellowstone where he was a park volunteer, filming, developing and producing podcasts. Travel and adventure defined his life, as he said they honeymooned in Yellowstone for a year (we lived there) took adventures throughout Mexico, visited Caribbean Islands, as an avid birder he birded in Belize, Costa Rica, Alaska, Cuba, Mexico, Africa, Galapagos, Peru, and Ecuador. His adventures ranged from snorkeling with hammer head sharks in Galapagos, hiking over 700 miles in Yellowstone, hunting, fishing and hiking the Bighorns, sea kayaking in the Sea of Cortez, touring the streets of Havana, observing the wildebeest migration in Kenya, hiking the Inca trail at Machu Pichu, climbing Mayan ruins and temples in Guatemala, Belize and Mexico, crossing the Arctic Circle, minding his steps in England, visiting 51 National Parks, drinking beers with friends on porches throughout the US and world, playing broomball, wallyball, volleyball, softball, white water rafting the Colorado River in Utah and the River of No Return (Salmon) in Idaho, moonlight cross country ski trips, hot potting at Boiling River, chasing sunsets, following Sand hill crane migrations, listening to elk bugle on the South Arm of Yellowstone Lake, seeing a total eclipse of the sun, and truly enjoying our national park areas and national refuges. The adventures may have ended but the memories will last forever. Anyone who knew him, knew he always was up for just about anything, as he often quoted - “Juby, HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS”. Daryl leaves behind the love of his life Judy, lots of family throughout the country and friends throughout the world.

Champion Kane Funeral Home has been entrusted with local arrangements.

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