Dan Mandich , age 87, of Cottage Grove, and formerly of Calumet, died Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at Norris Square Senior Center in Cottage Grove.

Dan was born May 16, 1935, to Victor and Mary (Skorich) Mandich. He graduated from Greenway High School in Coleraine in 1953 and played football and basketball with the basketball team gleefully crowned District 28 champs, beating Hibbing 58-50.

After graduating high school, Dan attended college at Colorado State University in Greeley and played football as a center and guard and lettered his freshman year. He next attended Iowa State University in Ames and played football there too and finally came back to Minnesota to finish his teaching degree at Bemidji State University graduating in 1958. While attending college in Bemidji, he also served the community as a volunteer firefighter.

He started his teaching career in Faith, South Dakota and then worked for the Pond Union School District in California where in 1966, the eighth-grade class dedicated the yearbook to Dan who was not only their teacher but dedicated coach of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. On August 28, 1967, he was married to the love of his life, Helen Mandich, and they made their home in Cottage Grove where Dan taught middle school from 1970 until retirement in 1998 for the St. Paul School District in industrial arts, mechanic arts, and physical education. Dan was a hardworking father who in his spare time worked as a real estate broker selling residential properties in the Twin Cities.

Dan enjoyed spending time with his family and having parties in the backyard including big campouts.

He was a talented woodworking, metal, and concrete artist and enjoyed making the family yard beautiful with his creative and fun designs.

He is survived by his four daughters, Renee Mandich, Rosie (Mark) Lindner, Rhonda (Bill) Sprouls, Tara (Ed) Ulmaniec, four grandchildren, Mariah, Breanna, Andrea, and Danny, stepson Willy Wiswell, and four step grandchildren, Ann, Dylan, Lee, and Dara.

Preceded in death by his wife, Helen, his parents, brothers, Peter and Emil, granddaughter, Katrina Lindner, stepson Jimmy Wiswell and stepdaughter Patti Wiswell.

His family will be holding a private memorial at the Lakeview Cemetery, Coleraine at a later date.