Daniel John Busher

Daniel John Busher, 59 of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 22, 2022, surrounded by his loving family.

Dan was born on September 18, 1963, in Beloit, WI, the son of Sandra Busher (Ide) and Michael Busher.  His childhood years were spent in Upstate New York hiking, camping, skiing, sailing and sailboarding.  He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Mechanical Engineering with Honors and later earned an EMBA from Vanderbilt University, also with Honors.  Dan began his career at Saturn in Detroit and assisted in the Greenfield automotive plant start-up experience in Spring Hill, TN.  He met his wife, Kate in Nashville.  They were active in the Lightning fleet at Harbor Island Yacht club and competed in the SE sailing circuit.  They were married in fall of 1991 and began their family.  He was most proud of his 3 boys Michael (born 1995), Joey (born 1997) and William (born 1999).  In 1994 Dan began working for Alcoa and held positions in plant management and supply chain with progressive responsibility within the automotive wiring harness business.  Alcoa took his family to Michigan and then San Antonio, TX. In Michigan he earned his private pilot license and began to fly the family on local adventures. The family remained active in the sailing community and Dan founded a youth program at Lake Canyon Yacht Club, which launched his boys yacht racing careers and introduced many youth to pleasure and competitive sailing.  The family traveled around the state of Texas supporting the boys in the Texas youth sailing circuit with Dan as an active coach for the LCYC team.  The family was finally old enough to introduce the boys to snow skiing.  There were many great family skiing adventures in the Colorado and New Mexico mountains. It was in Texas that Dan truly discovered his faith in Jesus Christ His Lord and Savior.  He became active in his faith and bible study groups.  In 2006, Dan was called to work at Force Protection in Ladson, SC, which shifted his career path to defense contracting.  He would say this was the most significant and meaningful position of his career, building MRAP vehicles and saving thousands of lives of our military warriors.  He was an active member of Christ Our King, participating in the men’s group and Wednesday Wisdom bible study group, the RCIA program and was a liturgical ministry for mass. He also was a founding board member of Camp Rise Above, a charity for disabled children and served on the Mechanical Engineering Department Advisory Board at The Citadel in Charleston. The family shifted to a power boat in SC and enjoyed many wonderful adventures around the SC coast exploring, scuba diving and fishing. Dan began competing in Triathlons in the low country.  In 2009 he accepted a position as Operations VP at Orbital ATK in Baltimore, MD.  This continued his career path in defense and expanding to aerospace, including ammunition and rocket motor manufacturing.   He continued active participation at Church and joined the Knights of Columbus increasing his service in the community.  When the family moved back to South Carolina, Dan joined St. Benedict Catholic Church and he began serving as a Liturgical Minister there.  After attending his Cursillo retreat he became a regular member of the weekly Cursillo men's group at St. Benedict’s.

Upon receiving his ALS diagnosis in 2018, Dan immediately retired, choosing to spend the remainder of his time on earth in prayer, study, devotion to His Lord and Savior and his family and friends.  He seized the moment and planned numerous adventures with our family and close friends, creating monumental memories for us all!  We began with a scuba diving trip in Honduras and then a European River cruise.  The most significant and profound trip was an epic pilgrimage to The Holy Land, tracing the steps of Jesus Christ’s life on Earth!  Dan was a serious and ardent student of democracy and free market economics and had a keen sense of right and wrong.  Dan lived with a faith and trust in the Lord that touched many lives in many ways.  Regardless of how things were going, Dan’s first devotion was to his Lord, then his wife and family, then to his friends and the greater society. He chose to be in God’s presence and live with an attitude of gratitude each day. Maintaining a sense of humor that would confound many, Dan actively chose to enjoy his moments, belly laughing with immense joy and freedom among his friends, his brothers and sisters in Christ.  His cursillo group was a source of strength, wisdom and support.  When it became too difficult for Dan to attend meetings, they began coming to his home to allow him to actively participate.  The Cursillo group and Wednesday Wisdom Bible study group were the hands and feet of Jesus carrying Dan in faith for the final leg of his earthly Christian race.  Dan had also been a member of the Knights of Columbus 4th Degree Assembly.  He lived an exemplary life on earth and now enjoys life eternal with his Lord in heaven.

Daniel is survived by his wife, Kathleen Busher; parents, Michael Busher and Sandra Busher; mother-in-law, Edith Kelly; children Michael Busher, Joseph Busher, William Busher, sisters, Shelly Pond (Andrew), Terry Etterman (Ken), Lisa Fair (Jason), sisters-in-law, Pat Kelly, Mary Willetts, Julie Malloy (Gregg), Amy Gariepy (John), brothers-in-law Michael Kelly (Cindy), Jim Kelly; and numerous nieces and nephews.  Dan is preceded in death by his father-in-law, Donald Kelly.

We will remember Dan for his adventurous spirit and love of Christ.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, December, 1, 2022, from 5:00 PM -  7:00 PM at McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation in Mount Pleasant with a Prayer Service starting at 5:00 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, December 2, 2022, at 11:00 AM, St. Benedict Catholic Church, 950 Darrell Creek Trail in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.  Family inurnment will be held at Mepkin Abbey.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Steve Gleason Foundation (504) 934-1037 https://teamgleason.org/donate/  and The National Shrine of Divine Mercy (413) 298-3931 https://forms.shrineofdivinemercy.org/shrine/donation/ , Stockbridge, MA

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at mcalister-smith.com.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation - Mount Pleasant, 1520 Rifle Range Rd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464, (843) 884-3833 .