Obituary for Danny Rector

Danny S. Rector, age 77, of Westerville, passed away on March 15, 2024. He was born on February 20, 1947, in Columbus, to the late Dean and Madelon (Morgan) Rector.

He was a long-time resident of Westerville and after graduating from Westerville High School in 1967 he went onto trade school to become a certified auto mechanic and specialized in air-cooled vehicles.

He proudly served our Country in the United States Army and served in Vietnam as part of the 97^th Transportation Company on a Landing Craft Utility (LCU) delivering supplies and equipment to troops along the coastline. He received many commendations from his commanders for his dedication, desire to excel, and training of his fellow soldiers.

Danny had a number of interests, but his most passionate was restoring classic and muscle cars. He was also an expert woodworker and created numerous unique and custom crafted pieces of furniture. He enjoyed metal detecting and traveling around the country visiting mines in search of precious gemstones and panning for gold. He was always reading and researching to acquire new skills and knowledge that enabled him to not only build a personal helicopter, a sailboat, and a solar energy system but many other devices. He also loved history, photography, cameras, and antiques. With his vast knowledge no one ever won any trivia games against him. And as his family and friends know he was always willing to share what he learned and educate others.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Darlene (Parry) Rector; Stepson Josh (Toni) Zeise; siblings; Judy Rector, Cindy Rindfleisch, Nancy Rector-Kauser, Mark Rector, niece Morgan Kauser, nephew Nathan Rindfleisch, and many cousins.

In memory of Danny, donations may be made to:  Honor Flight Columbus, PO Box 20133, Columbus, OH  43220.

A special event to celebrate Danny with family and friends will be held at a later date.