Munster Donut lost its most loyal customer on April 4, 2026. After 11 years of kicking cancer’s butt, Daniel Charles Patrick McCabe felt generous, so he decided to call it a stalemate. 

Dan entered the world with a permanent chip on his shoulder, having been the second person born in Anaconda, Montana, on January 1st, 1953, to the loving (and likely exhausted) Patricia [Falt] and Chick. As the eldest of five, he took his duties seriously, regularly putting his younger siblings—Jeani, Judy, David, and Doods—squarely in their place. Seeking adventure and a world outside of Montana, he joined the military, serving several years in the Navy as a midshipman on the aircraft carrier, the USS Saratoga (CV-60), affectionately known as “the old Sara.” 

After his military service ended, Dan promised a fellow sailor to come to Indiana to be his best man. Once there, he never left. Dan enrolled in college and quickly sealed the deal with his soon-to-be wife, Beth [Domogala], after dropping a perfectly executed sexy Tuck, Pike and Straddle jump during gymnastics class. We'll let you do the math on the quick arrival of children, Jeremy and Amanda. His family later expanded to include son-in-law Terry Sadowski, daughter-in-law Taryn [Dennison], and two utterly doting grandchildren, Sunorah and Kye Sadowski. 

Dan spent his professional life positively impacting youth—a decision made early in life following in his mother’s footsteps. This included stints teaching in Anaconda at the Job Corp. and AWARE, Inc., providing advice as a guidance counselor at Bishop Noll, and earning two National Blue-Ribbon awards while serving as a principal within the Diocese of Gary. 

But his true superpower was coaching the pole vault. Fueled by copious amounts of coffee, cigarettes, and chocolate, Dan would engage in legendary, lively banter with his vaulters. While his demanding nature resulted in several state finalists, the actual pole vaulting was secondary to the life lessons he constantly dispensed—a mentorship that completely transcended the sport. 

As Dan always said to his vaulters “It’s a great day on the playground.” To Jeani and Calvin, Judy and Darrell, Dave and Christy, Doods, Donna, Dean and Andrea, Steve and Claudia, and all family and friends: Always remember in the most difficult of circumstances to enjoy life, laugh often, defy gravity, and not take things so seriously that you forget to have fun! Don’t miss out on the simple things that make life the most meaningful. 

In later years, Dan and Beth would start each day with a prayer in their outdoor oasis, the “coffee clutch.” At every party and family reunion he attended you could hear his infectious laughter from a mile away joking with in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family and friends. He never once lost his sense of humor, often commenting that any day he was “sucking air” was a good one. His trademark line, “Look at you, you’re a beauty,” was so popular during his all-too-regular hospital visits, that the entire nursing staff of an entire floor gave him a salute during one of his check outs. He also loved playing cards with family and friends, often winning, except to his mother Pat who he conveniently claimed always “cheated” and mother-in-law, Lorraine. He pouted so hard, she had to make him stuffed cabbage to cheer him up, and his mom had to send him Povitica for Christmas and his Birthday as a peace offering.

Dan loved a good challenge. Once, he quit drinking simply for fun, resulting in over 46 years of sobriety. In his final year, he created a bucket list, forcing his family to constantly add items because he was blowing through them faster than a vaulter clearing a bar. Highlights included Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogarty calling him one of his biggest fans, being personally thanked by Sandi Morris for helping pioneer girls' pole vaulting in Indiana, watching his favorite movie with the family ( Down Periscope ), live-streaming his grandson Kye's first track meet pole vaulting while Amanda coached, and being able to tell Sunorah how proud he is of her in one of their many deeply meaningful conversations. Even when things got impossibly tough, his positivity was absolutely contagious. He remains Beth’s champion, and his children and grandchildren are honored to call him Dad, Gramps, bald-headed baby, and their hero. 

Dan is now following his fathers, Chick and Roy, into heaven. They were avid fly fishermen, and we can all safely assume the Apostles are about to get an updated, likely loud, seminar on how to truly catch fish. We’re sure Debbie and Skip Ackerman will be throwing one heck of a fish fry where Dan will relish catching up with Bill Malone, Rusty, Dale, and all his other relatives.

If you would like to spend one more day celebrating this legend, a visitation will be held on Sunday, April 12th, from 4–8 p.m., at La Hayne Funeral Home in Hammond, Indiana. Funeral services will take place on Monday, April 13th at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help with Military Honors following.

 In lieu of flowers, Dan insists that you help others beat cancer into submission and support our veterans by donating to the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Legion.