Daniel Vap

Former Hastings resident, Daniel Joseph Vap, 71, of Missoula, Montana, died Sunday, February 9, 2014 in Denver, Colorado.

Rosary will be Wednesday, February 12, 2014; 7:00 P.M. at Butler Volland Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, February 13, 2014; 10:00 A.M. at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church with his brother Monsignor Ivan F. Vap officiating. Burial will be at Parkview Cemetery, Hastings. There will be no viewing or visitation. Memorials may be given to the Missoula Food Bank, an organization that meant very much to him.

Daniel Vap was born January 11, 1943, to Cecilia Vap (née Karmazin) and Frank Vap. He attended grade school and high school at St. Cecilia's, and married his high school sweetheart Linda Halloran on June 19, 1965. He graduated from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where he studied Journalism and Marketing. His first job was for Cessna Aircraft in Wichita. He next worked for Jack DeBoer Apartments, and wrote the publication Apartment Living . At the same time he edited the magazine Popular Archaeology , in which he featured photos of his young children at archaeological sites. His best friend, Mike Crowley, talked him into working for him opening Godfather's Pizza restaurants in Minneapolis. Dan worked for Mike for four years before deciding to develop, along with his wife, their own Godfather's restaurants throughout Montanaa�" a place he'd wanted to live since their Red Lodge honeymoon, fifteen years before. He continued to develop restaurants throughout his career for the next thirty-five years, building a family business that his wife and two of his children continue to work in. He was particularly proud of his part in developing the HuHot Mongolian Grills franchise over the past fifteen years. Some of his other work included: pilot, Good Humor Man, gas station attendant, golf-ball retriever, caddy, owner of a gift catalogue business called Genuine Montana, owner of an advertising company, doing freelance photography, and owner of Beargrass Arabians. Dan loved Montana, Nebraska, travel, hiking, astronomy, four-wheeling, RC planes, traveling with his kids around the world (Italy, Czech Republic, Denmark, London, Moab, the Boundary Waters, Hawaii, Tahiti, Scottsdale, France, Poland... ), visiting his children and grandchildren, photography, mysteries on television, Jimmy Stewart movies, wine, beer, pickled fish, writing, science, and his New Year fireworks show.

Dan is preceded in death by his daughter, Amy Vap; parents; brother, Archie Vap, sister, Joanne Pallas; father-in-law, John (Jack) E. Halloran; beloved dogs, Bear and Charlie; and all of his ancestors.

SURVIVORS:
Wife:
Linda Vap
Children & Spouses:
David Vap & Margaret Burns Vap
Andrew Vap & Maggie Vap
Sarah Vap & Todd Fredson
Molly Vap O'Shea & Michael O'Shea
Grandchildren:
Brian (13)
Claire (12)
Grace (9)
Morgane (8)
Oskar (7)
Kevin (5)
Mateo (5)
Colin (3)
Hazel (10 months)
Archie (8 months)
Siblings:
Monsignor Ivan F. Vap
Patricia Manning
Jerry Vap
His wife's family, who consider him theirs, too; and by his good friends