people - for those of you who don't know , Dan Goodenow passed away this week - a young person with a whole life ahead of him and one of those people that you never hear a bad word about -

dan was one of my close friends , he was a guy very easy to be friends with generous with his time and advice , huge experience in outfitting round the globe and someone it was always fun to be around ...

He was head of OEM sales at Trijicon when he passed and they asked John Zent to write something - here it is-

The Joy of Knowing Dan
Today too many of us received the painful news that our friend and outdoor-industry colleague, Dan Goodenow, had passed away. Death notices are always unsettling, but this one really hurts. Not only because of Dan’s age. Not only because of Dan’s naturally upbeat demeanor. Not only because of Dan’s drive to learn and do and go.
That’s what landed both of us at a Jim Shockey Yukon moose camp. I was on a writing assignment; Dan was an unpaid intern acting out the fence-painting scene from Tom Sawyer, the kid who couldn’t wait to get his hands on the paintbrush after coming to the realization that a thing he truly loved--hunting/shooting--wasn’t just a sport or a fixation: It could be a business, too.
Just learning his way around the camera, Dan worked hard filming my hunt for NRA and Shockey TV. At the time Dan was employed by a Michigan newspaper, on the business side, but not as a journalist. Burning vacation and on his own dime, he was the camp wit, inexhaustible and upbeat, and by the end of our time there I knew he could be an ace salesman, a storyteller, a manager of just about anything. I was convinced he’d be a natural for the shooting industry and encouraged him to look for a job. The best moment came at the very end when he was the first to spot the downed bull. The guide and I walked past, but then the guy with his eye glued to the viewfinder found it. That delighted Dan, and delighted me, and one or the other was bound to recall it on those occasions when we met.
Dan parlayed that first volunteer video gig into a job with the Shockey organization. I was never fully clear on his role, but he sure seemed to enjoy it and was awfully grateful and pleased to be in the hunting business. Obviously Dan’s timing was great, too—Jim and company were well on the way to becoming a media phenomenon. Dan had a tiger by the tail. And maybe Shockey did too.
Soon enough, Dan was a globetrotting hunting professional who’d entertain me with particulars from his new high-adventure lifestyle. But the hunts he liked telling about best were closer to home. Every year he’d send emails or he’d call from the family’s Michigan deer camp, and that made clear what his role really was. Dad of two boys, Nico & Justin; son of a GM retiree, Gary; a husband who dearly loved his wife, Kathy. There are no words for expressing my condolences for them.
His job with Shockey Inc., ran its course, and Dan mulled at least a couple juicy opportunities before landing at Trijicon. It was the perfect spot, because, like the Goodenow hunting camp, it was home. A month after starting, he bragged about the culture—smart, driven yet caring. He said it was where he knew he belonged, a bright new chapter.
And so it was bitter news that came down on us today. Unthinkable. We know God has his plan, but when it’s so difficult to understand, it will take time and help to come to grips with it.
Just based on our friendship—and Dan had many hunting friends—some plans and dreams will now go unfulfilled, at least in this conscious world. All we can do now is attach those dreams to our memories, and that will be the joy of knowing Dan. If you have any questions, please contact Chuck Wahr at cwahr@Trijicon.com.
- John Zent
Editorial Director
NRA Media

folks if anyone would like to make a contribution to his family ,who has been suddenly left without their provider , trijicon have set up a fund for him at the following link http://dangoodenow.mydagsite.com/.

This is very tragic news, Dan was very kind to everyone and shall be missed by all who knew him. God Bless

Terrible news, may he rest in peace on happier hunting grounds.

Incredible sad news.
I will always remember him videoing himself while giving commentary on Jim's shows.
A class act indeed.

I feel privileged to say that Dan was my friend. I will miss him, and certainly have his family in my prayers.

Condolences to his family and friends.

Dan was someone I just recently got to know. Friendly, in the know, well thought of by his peers and a very nice guy. Very sorry to hear this news, and I feel for his family and friends. Very sad day...

Thoughts and prayers to the family and all that knew him.

My sincerest condolences to Dan's family and close friends.

Dan was a really good guy, very sad. Condolences to his family.

This is a very sudden and tragic event. A fund has been set up to benefit the family . Please help the family if you can.