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Talented, adventurous, and wise are but a few words one could use in remembering the legacy left behind by a Bartlesville man.

Danny Stephen Hastings was born February 12th, 1951 in Cassville, Missouri to Jerry and Darlene Hastings. When he was five-years-old, the family made their home in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He attended school from elementary through graduation at Sooner High in 1969. Following high school, Danny enlisted in the Marine Corp and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, serving his country for four years. While in California, he earned an Associate’s Degree at Chapman College. After an honorable discharge from the Marines, he returned to Oklahoma to be closer to his family and continue his education. He earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, as well as a Master’s of Science in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership from Oklahoma State University.

Danny was an educator in the Bartlesville Public Schools System for 24 years. He taught Special Education in a variety of settings within BPS, and served for several years as a mentor for the yearbook staff. Following retirement two years ago, Danny had most recently found himself back in the classroom at Bartlesville High School. There was no traditional calendar ever referenced by Danny; rather, the number of days until the end of one school year or the beginning of another.

Danny’s favorite role was that of “Daddy” to his girls. As a teacher, he instilled in his daughters from an early age the importance of an education. He taught Olivia to count in Spanish at the age of one, and to brush her teeth after every meal. He taught Allison how to make a proper list, and provided her with an appreciation for cinematography. From meal planning and budgeting, to road trips and itineraries, he involved them in every aspect of forming plans and creating family goals. He was beyond proud to watch both of his daughters graduate from high school, and later on college. The rest of the family could rest assured, that even when Olivia and Allison reached adulthood and established their own independence, any subsequent holiday cards would still be signed, “Danny, Olivia and Allison.”

Danny was a lover of traveling. Whether on the family’s farm in the rolling hills of Cassville, or at his parents’ cabin in the remote mountains of Colorado, he loved the solitude nature provided. He made many memories with his family, a majority of which he captured first with his favorite bulky video camera and most recently with his GoPro.

Above all else, Danny was a longtime music enthusiast, an avid Beatles fan, and an accomplished musician and songwriter. From the age of fourteen, he loved to write songs and play the guitar. He set up his first recording studio a few years later in his parents’ garage, appropriately titled Michigan Street Studio. He enjoyed playing music with his two younger brothers, Mike and Jay, and various close friends. With hundreds of lyrics in hand, he released his first cassette in 1985. By 2020, he had released nearly a dozen albums including his most recent, “Riding a High and Beautiful Wave“ – a compilation of his greatest hits.

Danny passed away on Monday, Feb. 10th. He was preceded in death by his father, Wilbur Jerome (Jerry) Hastings of Bartlesville. He is survived by his mother, Darlene Hastings, of Bartlesville; two daughters, Olivia of Bartlesville and Allison of Edmond; two brothers, Mike and wife Dana of Kingsland, Texas, and Jay and wife Michelle of Owasso; nieces and nephews and their families: Brooke and Shannon Jones, Treyson and Tyson, of Sherman, Texas; Brandon and Rachael Hastings, and Corbin, of Bartlesville; Ryan and Caroline Hastings, and Natalie, of Midland, Texas; Todd and Christie Hastings, Hunter and Hayden, of Dewey; Tyler and Krista Hastings, and Octavia, of Bartlesville; and Kennedy Goins of Owasso; as well as a number of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and students.

The Hastings family will receive guests for visitation at the Stumpff Funeral Home on Thursday, February 13th, 2020 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 14th, 2020 in the Stumpff Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Robert Bonner officiating. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at the Ennis Cemetery at Cassville, Missouri directed by the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory.