Tribute: Uncle Danny Sundberg

Yesterday my uncle Danny Sundberg died at the age of 80 years old. He had been quite sick for the past few years and this comes as no major shock but always sad to lose a family member. He was the eldest of my dad's 7 siblings, and probably the one I had least memories with. Nonetheless I still always remember him at the family gatherings, parties, weddings, etc. With his wife Jan, he had two daughters, Kim and Susan (the eldest of the cousins). They lived in North Carolina most of my life and we made three trips to visit them. One for Kim's wedding, one for Susan's wedding, and one most recently in 2018 to celebrate his life. By this point it was quite clear that he was going to die soon and it is a very good thing we all got to have one last family gathering in his honor before he died. 

Most the times I saw Uncle Danny he was usually quite reserved and never as outspoken or charismatic as some of the other Sundbergs. He had somewhat of an intimidating affect with his large stature, grey beard, and rather serious personality. He was clearly someone with wealth, intellect, and conservative views. I'm not for sure what his exact career was, but I believe it had to do with business and IT infrastructure. His wife and two daughters were always very friendly, though I also had limited interactions with them. Both of his daughters also had two children apiece, giving him a total of 4 grandchildren. 

For both of his daughters' weddings Uncle Dan reserved cabins for the family in the mid 90s. Susan's came first, maybe around 1995 when I was in 5th grade. I remember we had a very nice cabin to stay at on a large estate near a creek and woods. The wedding was also quite different as it was held outside. I particularly remember a very good rendition of the gospel song "Oh Happy Day". I also remember the reception being held in a barn. I told Kim that night that the next wedding we would celebrate would be hers and she was very shocked and happy to hear that. 

It was maybe a couple years later in 1997 or 1998 that we returned to North Carolina for Kim's wedding to Jose Amigo. I hardly interacted much with Susan's husband, however Jose Amigo was the coolest dude ever to all us cousins. He was an Asian-American photographer and had a very fun party-centric personality. I believe Uncle Dan once again got us a cabin to stay at, and this time the wedding was held in the city of Charlotte. I remember my dad and older family members getting very drunk, while us younger cousins played hacky sack outside near the Carolina Panthers stadium. 

I think I got to know Uncle Danny best when I worked for Carl's autism clinic (The BACA) in 2010. Danny was brought on as the business consultant for the company and was often staying at Carl and Devon's house. Few times I saw him at the clinic or at Carl's house and would have some brief interactions with him. I remember him often going on about his Republican ways yet also sharing interesting family insights. He told me how my dad still owed him around $5000 for investing in his studio album. He also agreed with my idea that there should be a limit on campaign financial contributions. However the advice I most remember from Uncle Danny was that "a failure to plan is a plan to fail". I remember him telling me this at the BACA, and it is a quote that has always stuck with me as my mantra. 

The last time I saw Uncle Danny was in the summer of 2018 when his daughters decided to host a party in his honor. I remember saying hi to him, but my interactions were quite brief and I believe he was already showing signs of frailness at this point. The party was no doubt organized as an effort to celebrate his life as he approached the end. I remember that Friday evening we gathered at Susan's house in the backyard enjoying food, games, and conversation. On Saturday we gathered at a public pool and Uncle Mark had organized the 2nd Enoch Olympics. I performed poorly in the swim event however defended my title for the handstand. It was a very fun day with cousins and family and a nice visit to North Carolina to celebrate Dan's life. May he rest in peace. 

Memories with Uncle Dan

• Providing a quote that has become my mantra; "failure to plan is a plan to fail"
• Telling stories of the Sundberg family, including how my dad owed him money for his studio album
• Talking about his Republican views and telling me that I would make a good Republican
• Agreeing with my idea that there should be a limit on campaign financial contributions
• Giving me a photo of grandpa Enoch sitting on the Hollywood sign at the Sundberg Christmas Party in 2015