Obituary of Daniel Gerard Hoodless

It is with exceptional sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Daniel Gerard Hoodless on September 8, 2020. Born December 17, 1961 to Monica (nee Flynn) and John Hoodless, Dan spent his formative years in Stratford before attending the University of Waterloo for Fine Arts and History and settling down with his own family in the countryside near St. Marys.Dan proudly continued the family vocation as a stagehand with the Stratford Festival Theatre for almost 40 seasons. He was a skilled and artful flyman with impeccable timing who was highly respected by his crew, and could frequently be found on the fly floor reading books between cues. Dan is survived by his wife of 35 years (together 43 years), Karen Hoodless (nee Reinhart), his three children Josh (Megan), Samantha (Ross) and Quinn (Claire), and sisters Katie Hoodless (Jim Johnson), Jeannie Sweeney (Bob Sweeney) and Laura Hoodless (Rob Seigner), as well as many, many extended but very close sister and brothers-in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.Dan is predeceased by his parents Monica and John, and his brother John Brian (aka Jack). Dan was endlessly creative in every sense of the word – from his exceptional cooking and handyman skills, to learning and mastering every possible form of art he tried, including stained glass, sculptures, drawing, photography, woodwork and smelting (yes, smelting) – even his sandcastles were a work of art.Though he loved to travel, Dan was a homebody at heart with a green thumb that would put Mother Nature to shame. He was also a deep thinker who loved learning and expanding his perspectives, and had the gift of the gab, greatly enjoying heartfelt conversations with his friends and family.There was nothing more enthralling to him than seeing and photographing a rare bird, and animals were drawn to him in an almost magical way, like the time a baby squirrel, completely unprompted, climbed up his leg and into his coat pocket for a rest. He might be missed most though by his dogs Sydney and Max.Dan never felt more at peace than when he was in nature, whether he was hiking, kayaking, working on his gardens or watching the sunset at the beach.Dan was an endearing, loveable curmudgeon, with a quick wit and quirky sense of humour, deeply adored by his immediate and extended family, his stage crew at the Avon, his lifelong friends, casual acquaintances and sometimes even complete strangers - all despite his best efforts. He was too smart for his own good, did not suffer fools gladly and was annoyingly good at things like Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble and Frisbee.He will be fiercely missed. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you make a donation to the Canadian Mental Health Association of Huron Perth, plant a garden, learn a new art form, feed the birds, take unending photos of the people you love (whether they are smiling or not), or stop to read a book or two. Starting a political or religious debate is also acceptable.A memorial will be planned and announced at a later date.Dan’s family would like to give a very heartfelt thank you to all the first responders for their support. Now that we're able to get together again, we invite friends, family and coworkers to come share stories, condolences and laughs. Celebration of Life will take place Monday, September 13, 2021 from 5-7 PM at the Avon Theatre, 99 Downie Street, Stratford, Enter at main doors. Masks will be required If you cannot attend, or if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 please leave condolences can be made through this page. Donations can also be made to the Performing Arts Lodge (PAL) Stratford in his honour: palstratford.org/donate/