Daniel Deen Bledsoe, also known as "Dan the Man", passed away March 11th, 2013, at age 55. He left behind his daughter, Cory, his loving fiancé, Shella McCurdy, and her daughter, Shelby. He is also survived by his parents, Wilma Jean and Winston Bledsoe; two brothers, Philip, his wife Cindy, their daughter Jacki and Robert. A long time resident of Springfield and the surrounding area, Dan's first career of bartending started during his collegiate years. After graduating, he became an entrepreneur with the establishment of his business Creative Coatings. In 2001, he became a real estate agent at Carol Jones Realtors. Most recently, Dan had been working at Murney Associate Realtors. Dan's favorite activities included afternoon naps, watching Cardinals baseball with Shella, and being in Cory's life. It was very important to him to schedule his career in a way that allowed him to support Cory. Whether it was coaching YMCA basketball, coaching softball, or traveling hundreds of miles to watch color guard competitions, he was always there. Dan also had an overwhelming love of dogs and other animals. There has always been a loyal dog in his life. One of his favorite aspects of realty was meeting his clients' pets, even if their pets were goats. The only thing that came close to Dan's love for his daughter and family was his love for his friends. Anyone would be lucky to have the amount of caring, compassionate friends that Dan has. In this time of need, they form a network that everyone, including themselves, can rely on. Visitation for Dan will be held on Friday, March 15th, at 1 PM and the memorial service will follow at 2 PM, in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. At the family's request, please do not feel obligated to send floral tributes, or memorial donations.