Daniel Franklin Manoyan passed away late on the evening of April 20, 2020 at the age of 69 years old.

Born in Waukegan, Illinois on September 30, 1950 to an immigrant father from Armenia, Mr. Edward Manoian, and Elaine Manoian (nee Fox), Daniel went on to graduate from Waukegan High School in 1968. After high school he was admitted to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated with a BA in Journalism in 1972.

Soon after graduating from Illinois, Dan began his professional career as a sports writer with the Kenosha News, spending the next five years covering local sports in the Kenosha area. Never quite forgetting his Waukegan roots, however, Dan decided to join the sports staff at the Waukegan News-Sun in 1977. As a columnist for his hometown newspaper in Waukegan, he fulfilled his lifelong dream to become a leading voice within this community that had provided his father with the opportunity to create a new life for both himself and his children here in America.

In 1988, Dan left the Waukegan News-Sun to take a position at the Dallas Morning News, which at that time was one of the leading sports sections in the country. In 1992, Dan used his four years of experience working at the Dallas Morning News to land himself a job with another major newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. From 1992 to his retirement in 2009, Dan covered many sports teams hailing from the State of Wisconsin, including the Green Bay Packers, UW Football and Basketball, and UWM Basketball. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel also asked Dan to cover several PGA Tour events during his career. As a golf enthusiast himself, he particularly enjoyed covering these events, and in later years considered himself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to see (and play) some of the very greatest golf courses in the world.

In 2007, Dan published his first book, titled Men of Granite . As an Armenian-American, Dan took great pride in telling the story of a group of small-town, first and second-generation immigrants who came together to achieve greatness in their new country. Dan was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame for his work on Men of Granite in 2013.

Retirement did not stop Dan from writing. In fact, in 2012, Dan published Alan Ameche: The Story of "The Horse" , his second book.

Above all else, however, Daniel considered his sons, Edward Charles Manoyan (33) and Randall Thomas Manoyan (30), as his crowning achievements. Both Edward and Randall will miss their father tremendously.

Daniel is also survived by his loving sisters, Barbara Burke (Lone Rock, WI) and Judith Dembinsky (Wadsworth, IL), as well as his nephew, Richard Dembinsky, and his nieces, Elaina Burke-Solie and Laura Burke-Jarrell.

Daniel was a first-class father, a loving sibling and uncle, and a devoted friend to a great many. 'Minnow' will be deeply missed by all those fortunate to have known him.

A memorial service will be held for Daniel on Saturday, July 11, 2020. Please contact Randall Manoyan for further information either by phone at (847) 668-0259 or by email at manoyan1@gmail.com. The Manoyan family asks that all tokens of condolence be addressed to The Manoyan Family, 131 25 ^th Ave., Kenosha, WI 53140.