On Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, Daniel Nissly, 68, loving spouse and father, passed away at the Good Samaritan Home of Beatrice, Nebraska.
Dan was born March 31, 1952, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Don and Nancy (Downey) Nissly.
He was a 1970 graduate of Central Dallas High School in Minburn, and he attended the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
On April 26, 1980, Dan married Rachel (Shelly) Shepherd. They raised one son, Jacob, of San Francisco.
Dan loved all sports and played basketball and baseball for the Central Dallas High School Cyclones.
He had a passion for music and began taking drum lessons at the age of 9 years. After Dan left college, he spent the next 10 years playing drums and traveling the Midwest with rock bands.
One of Dan’s proudest moments was being inducted as a member of the Pelican Peace Band and Sky Dancer into the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association’s Hall of Fame class of 2004 and 2008, respectively.
After leaving the music scene, Dan spent the following 36 years working as a career agent for Farm Bureau Financial Services, with a career spanning from 1981 through 2017. He began his career in Nebraska and relocated to the Des Moines area in 1987.
Dan was the recipient of the All American, Royal Court, Pacesetters and Million Dollar Round Table awards. Dan loved his work and took pride in doing right thing for his clients. He was well known for his quit wit and his easy-going nature.
Dan was preceded in death by his father, Donald Nissly; his mother, Nancy Nissly; and in-laws, Robert and Nellie Shepherd.
He is survived by his wife and life partner, Shelly Nissly of Beatrice; his son, Jacob Nissly of San Francisco; and grandson, Robert Nissly, of San Francisco; his sisters, Mary (Richard Wright) Nissly of Dallas Center, Iowa, and Peggy (Gary) Silver of Dallas Center, Iowa; brother-in-law, Paul (Cindy) Shepherd of Beatrice; sister-in-law, Rita Shepherd of Phoenix; many nieces; nephews; and cousins.