R.I.P. Daniel Schreiber of Flatlander Chocolate : SPlog : Smile Politely

R.I.P. Daniel Schreiber of Flatlander Chocolate

Posted in SPLOG to Word by Justine Fein-Bursoni on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 6:08 pm

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.

24 comments

Seth Fein

07/27/10 at 07:30

Between Jon Schoenoff and Dan Schreiber, this is a massively sad week for Champaign-Urbana. You will be missed, my friend.

Sanford

07/27/10 at 07:46

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

07/28/10 at 07:54

Dan has always and will continue to push me to be a better person and to pursue my dreams. Nothing can take that away.

Rob McColley

07/28/10 at 07:38

In searching for an obit, I found Baltie’s dad.

Grim week indeed.

Anastasia

07/28/10 at 07:12

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.

Jordan

07/28/10 at 07:28

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.

Dan Schreiber

07/28/10 at 07:31

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.

Caleb Curtiss

07/28/10 at 07:58

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.

Rob McColley

07/28/10 at 07:09

Something about this doesn’t add up.

Rory

07/28/10 at 07:26

#10

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.

Kelly Innes

07/28/10 at 07:36

#11

This is all incredibly sad. My condolences to his family and friends.

r t lampyrowitz

07/28/10 at 07:54

#12

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.

Justine Fein-Bursoni

07/28/10 at 07:30

#13

@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.

Tracy Nectoux

07/28/10 at 07:34

#14

There are simply no words. I’m so sorry this happened.

UrbanaJake

07/28/10 at 07:00

#15

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

07/28/10 at 07:52

#16

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.

07/28/10 at 07:53

#17

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.

Cynthia Hoyle

07/29/10 at 07:41

#18

Dan was a brilliant young man. It is such a tragic loss. Shalom Daniel.

Brent Racobs

07/29/10 at 07:43

#19

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

07/30/10 at 07:25

#20

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.

07/30/10 at 07:18

#21

@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

07/30/10 at 07:52

#22

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

07/31/10 at 07:29

#23

@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

08/02/10 at 08:06

#24

Memorial website for Dan at
http://rememberingdan.org/

Add A Comment

A note about our commenting policy.

Most Recent SPlog Comments

Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is. But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…

Posted by Dan Schreiber to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get. I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library. None of those activities…

Posted by Jason Brechin to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

These days, there is more to using a library than checking out books. At one time, paying into the Lincoln Trails system probably would cover the expenses incurred by other libraries in the system. Now, with Internet, videos, coffee shops, wireless Internet hubs, etc., I suspect the…

Posted by Robert Knilands to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

(speaking as a Savoy resident) By paying taxes to support a member of the LTLS, we are paying our “fair share” to use any LTLS library—Tolono, Champaign, Urbana, etc. This is how library systems work. The 6% of CPL’s circulation represented by Tolono users is NOT significant…

Posted by Jason Brechin to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“

Posted by Rob McColley to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.

Posted by tmcdade to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.

Posted by Dan Schreiber to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.

Posted by Dan Schreiber to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…

Posted by Timbo to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.

Posted by Tracy Nectoux to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

SPlog Archives

2010

2009

Most Recent Comments

Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win.

By T. McDade to the entry 'Arch Rival preview on 09/02/10.

By Dan Schreiber to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…

By Robert Knilands to the entry 'Welcome CUcircle.com to our online community on 09/02/10.

By Jason Brechin to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

By Robert Knilands to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

By Jason Brechin to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“

By Rob McColley to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

I would be interested to hear more about the “word on the street”—how are individual hauling companies fulfilling their promise to recycle?

By haulers to the entry 'Champaign to close recycling drop-off center on 09/02/10.

Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.

By tmcdade to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…

By emma reaux to the entry 'Mug club! on 09/02/10.

And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.

By Dan Schreiber to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.

By Timbo to the entry 'The fall of Champaign-Urbana on 09/02/10.

By Timbo to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.

By Pete to the entry 'Mug club! on 09/02/10.

Thanks for the article, Ben. I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar. A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…

By Rex Bennett to the entry 'Zmick: Don't fear the jam on 09/02/10.

Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…

By @bbryon to the entry 'Zmick: Don't fear the jam on 09/02/10.

@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.

By Joel Gillespie to the entry 'Mug club! on 09/02/10.

Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.

By Tracy Nectoux to the entry 'Champaign Library to start charging Tolono and Mahomet residents on 09/02/10.

good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…

By Ben Valocchi to the entry 'Zmick: Don't fear the jam on 09/02/10.