Daniel John Salava of Burlington and Olathe, Kansas, died Tuesday, February 11, 2020, while taking care of his cattle on his farm north of Burlington. He was 62.

Dan was born February 16, 1957, in Emporia, Kansas, the son of John Otto and Mary Ellen (Skillman) Salava. He spent his earliest years on the family farm in the Hickory Creek neighborhood northwest of Burlington. In 1963 the family was forced to leave this farm due to the construction of John Redmond Reservoir. They moved to a farm near Moran, Kansas, before returning to Coffey County and settling on their farm north of Burlington in 1968.

Dan attended the Burlington schools. He was a key player on the 1975 Burlington High School basketball team which was the first BHS team to advance to the state tournament. He was active in FFA and was on the Cross-Country team. He graduated from BHS in 1975 and attended Kansas State University. He moved to Emporia before moving to Burlington following his marriage to Tammy Hoover on May 29, 1977. He and Tammy were the parents of three sons.

Dan was employed as a lineman for Lyon-Coffey Electric for nearly 20 years. In 1995 Dan opened the Prescription Centre Pharmacy inside Hoover's Thriftway and attended the University of Kansas, earning a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree in 2004. Tammy and Dan were divorced, and Dan has continued to own and operate the pharmacy since that time. Dan's true passion, though, was his ranch and farming operation. He loved caring for his land and cattle.

On June 19, 2010, he and Angela Sue Fagan Gerdes were married in New Strawn, Kansas. He and Angie shared their time between their home in Olathe, Kansas, and the family farm north of Burlington.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Loretta Rodriguez.

He leaves his wife, Angie; his sons, Dr. Jonathon Salava and wife Rori of Overland Park, KS, Dr. Nicholas Salava and wife Kelsi of Lawrence, KS, and Alex Salava and fiancé Hillary Riegel of Huntington, WV; two step-sons, Austin Gerdes and companion Jessica Harvey of Gardner, KS, and Connor Gerdes and companion Gabby Burt of Olathe, KS; five grandchildren, Clive, Eden, and Bette Salava, and Kate and Nora Salava; his siblings, Norma Eiman, Houston, TX, Evelyn Adams (Tim), Newton, KS, Jack Salava (Sandy), Manhattan, KS, and David Salava (Joyce), Clay Center, KS; a number of nieces and nephews; many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 A.M. Monday, February 17, 2020, at the United Methodist Church in Burlington. Burial will follow in Stringtown Cemetery northeast of Burlington.

The family will meet with friends from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. Sunday, at Jones Funeral Home in Burlington.

Memorial contributions may be made the Burlington High School FFA Chapter or the Braden Robertson Fund c/o Olathe Public Schools Foundation and may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home, PO Box 277, Burlington, KS 66839.