(Dan) Thomas Daniel Wuchina

In Loving Memory of (Dan) Thomas Wuchina

(Dan) Thomas Wuchina, who grew up in Sacramento, passed away on August 20, 2026.

He was a funny, goofy, caring man who could make just about anyone laugh. He kept us laughing and making jokes right up until the very end. He had a big heart, loved his people deeply, and completely adored his K9 Son, Rudy, who was undoubtedly one of the most spoiled dogs around.

Baseball was one of his lifelong loves, and his talent even caught the attention of professional scouts, including the Dodgers. He may not have gone on to play professionally, but his love for the game stayed with him throughout his life.

An avid athlete, Dan played Men's Slow-Pitch Softball with the O.B. Bombers. He spent years playing under the lights at Robb Field and the Ocean Beach Recreation Center, while his young daughter grew up playing in the sand, sitting in the stands, and watching her dad play the game he loved so much.

Around the late 1970s, Dan made his way to San Diego, where he built a career in the construction and heavy-equipment rental industry, working his way up and spending much of his life in the field. During his early San Diego years, he lived at "The Court" on Saratoga, where he made lifelong friends and welcomed his daughter, Katie, in 1984. He later lived in Vista before moving to Wisconsin.

Wherever life took him, Dan had a way of making friends. In Wisconsin, he was surrounded by the Faherty/Riddle family and formed more lasting friendships, many of whom remained by his side through to the end of his life.

In 2024, Dan moved to Evans, Louisiana, to be closer to his daughter and her family. There, he got to enjoy his final chapter living on the river with his own piece of waterfront property, surrounded by family, his beloved Rudy, and the people closest to him.

Dan was a two-time survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including enduring a stem cell transplant—a testament to his strength and determination.

Dan spent his final days exactly where he wanted to be: resting peacefully at home under the dedicated care of his family. His presence, his laughter, and his fiercely independent spirit leave an unfillable void in our hearts, but his memory will live on through the family and friends who loved him.

Dan was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Thomas Edward Wuchina and Ella V. Wuchina (Betz). He will be dearly missed by his daughter, Katie Henderson (Wuchina); his son-in-law, A.W. Henderson Jr.; his grandchildren, Skyler Wuchina (Berg) and Raylan Henderson; and his faithful K9 son, Rudy. He also leaves behind his sister, Darlene Plunkett (Wuchina), and brother-in-law, David Plunkett; his niece, Jodi Kirkpatrick (Plunkett), her husband, Mike, and their children, Madison and Dylan. Along with his immediate family, Dan is survived by a large, loving circle of extended family members and lifelong friends. Each of them added their own vibrant threads to Dan's rich tapestry of life and will carry his memory in their hearts.