R.I.P. Daniel Schreiber of Flatlander Chocolate
We've received terrible news that Daniel Schreiber of Flatlander Chocolate has passed away suddenly late last night a few miles north of Urbana.
UPDATE as of 6:38 pm: According to a friend of Dan's on Facebook, "People will be gathering 7PM tonight in the CS Grad Lounge (4401 Siebel Center, 201 N Goodwin Ave), to talk, listen, share, and so forth. Anyone who needs help getting here, being let in the building, etc, can call me at 217-686-4433."
UPDATE as of July 28 at 1 pm: The News-Gazette and Sheriff's office report that Dan's death is an apparent suicide.
UPDATE as of August 1: Schreiber's memorial service is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday, August 8, at Prairie Fruits Farm north of Urbana. Family and friends have created a website for those to remember Dan and share memories, photos, and videos.
UPDATE as of August 2: Please read a few entries from friends of Daniel, complied by the editors here at Smile Politely.
25 comments
Between Jon Schoenoff and Dan Schreiber, this is a massively sad week for Champaign-Urbana. You will be missed, my friend.
Thank you, Dan, for exposing us to something that we thought we knew… but didn’t really know at all.
Dan was a kind soul and a man who was following his dream. All things considered, that’s about as good an epitaph as any of us can hope for.
tommy
Dan has always and will continue to push me to be a better person and to pursue my dreams. Nothing can take that away.
In searching for an obit, I found Baltie’s dad.
Grim week indeed.
Anastasia
thank you for the update, sp…. this is really shocking to all of us. what a great guy…he will be missed by all of us.
the first show i ever went to in champaign-urbana was with him, back when we were both writing for opening bands. it was a lorenzo goetz show at the courtyard.
Just to clarify, folks, there are two Dan Schreibers in town (I’ve had a number of semi-panicked inquiries this morning).
My heart goes out to Dan’s friends and family. I’m truly sad that I never got to meet him (always intended to stop by his farmer’s market booth).
Let’s hope he has chocolate waiting for us all on the other side.
Condolences to Dan’s friends and family. As much of a loss as this is for our community, its hard to imagine the personal loss that his death must bring to those with whom he was close. Such a talented young man. He will be missed.
Something about this doesn’t add up.
Rory
I was talking with him at the market just a couple of weeks prior. He seemed busy but enthusiastic about his new kitchen, and we talked for a bit about when he would be around for a visit. I never got the feeling that he was thinking about jumping in front of a train. Dan was such a good person. And his chocolate creations were amazing. This is sad news.
This is all incredibly sad. My condolences to his family and friends.
It says something about the sheer power of major depression, that it can make even a life full of chocolate seem unlivable.
My condolences to friends and family, and a reminder: folks—depression isn’t always treatable, but most of the time it is.
@Rob —
I lost a friend to suicide not too long ago. We were all blindsided by it. He had made plans to hang out the following night and he was with friends the night before. He was always upbeat, he was the type of person to convince you not to do such a thing, and he was a successful musician. Unfortunately, sometimes we just don’t get to know what someone else was thinking or experiencing. If this is what really happened, it might never make sense to those Dan left behind.
Champaign-Urbana truly lost a brilliant and creative mind…and a very thoughtful and genuine individual.
There are simply no words. I’m so sorry this happened.
UrbanaJake
I am confused.
Did this person die by his own hand?
If so, this is a tragic event. We all must work to
provide more and better outlets for those who see no
light in their days.
This loss is incalcuable.
fred
it’s not at all clear that this was suicide, and a lot of people’s interactions with dan seem to point against it
we’ll have to wait and see if anything more comes up, i guess
ana.
dan was one of the first friends i ever made once i started undergrad at uiuc. though we definitely grew apart, many of the quintessentially ‘college kid’ moments of freshman and sophomore year adventures involve dan in some form or other. incredibly heart-breaking to hear about his death.
that said, thank you so much, justine, for so concisely and eloquently describing your previous (and equally unfortunate) experience with a friend’s suicide. many people do not and/or simply cannot comprehend the elaborate extent to which suicidal people feign unpained existence; many who do commit suicide never give any indications whatsoever to family or friends.
Dan was a brilliant young man. It is such a tragic loss. Shalom Daniel.
Brent Racobs
I Met Dan when he first came to school here. I custom Built his first fixed gear. The bike rides to the ice cream shops. The cool time chatting about the binary world.
No matter how he passed away this world will miss his sweet tooth.
My condolences go you to his family.
Peace and love
Debra Woods
I will miss seeing Dan and buying chocolate from him tonight at Pecha Kucha. I hope they do something in his memory at the event.
Ian K.
@Rob, at a time like this it’s disrespectful to introduce ‘conspiracy’ into the grieving process. Especially using simplistic pseudo-detective language that ‘something doesn’t add up.’
Many, many times there are no outward signs that someone is planning to take their own life. The ‘cry for help’ that signals an impending suicide attempt is, sadly, not always present. And a person’s internal strife is not always outwardly manifested, even to those closest to the person.
May this young man rest in peace, and may his family find comfort in remembering his life.
Martin Beberman
I met Daniel just a few months ago. He was charming and his chocolate was superb! His family, his friends, and folks who had not yet met him will suffer for this loss. My heartfelt condolences to his parents.
Angela Trellike
@Ian: Mary Schenk is a second-rate local hack. Nothing adds up in her “timely journalism.” Thank Zeus for the Internet, where she can continue editing her articles in real time.
grievous mortal
Memorial website for Dan at
http://rememberingdan.org/
ashton webb
We met early in the summer and spend some wonderful days together. We had plans for him to visit Australia in the winter. Our friendship was so full of promise. Six months later I still feel crushed and incredulous, robbed of the many, many happy times still to be had with my new friend. Would you have talked to me, Dan, if we had more time? Told me what was so terribly wrong inside? I’ll never know, and that hurts the most. I miss you, mate. And I promise never to forget you.
-ash
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Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.