Daniel Madison Starks

Daniel M. Starks      Daniel Madison Starks was born May 12, 1940 to James Craig Starks and DeFrosia Benton Rone in Buffalo, Erie County, New York.       Daniel’s father was an inventor and worked for the federal government, so the family moved often.  Some of the places they lived were: Missouri, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Virginia, and Washington..  While at Bolton, MA,  he graduated in the top 2% of his class and went on to enroll in the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in MA.  The next year he enlisted in the army for three years. He entered the Army Signal School for electronics.  His first employment was near Tokyo where he maintained the army radio transmitters.  He continued with the Army Signal Corps for the remainder of his stint, traveling to many parts of the world.  After coming home, he enlisted in the Air Force working again in electronics.  He served in France and parts of Europe this time.  In 1965 he completed his service and went to live in Oklahoma City where he worked with mobile radio equipment. In 1966 he moved close to his parents in Seattle, WA where he worked for Boeing. In 1966 Daniel returned to Oklahoma City to marry Norma Newman.  They returned to Seattle.   Daniel went to work for his father in a Western Auto store just outside of Seattle.  On June 10, 1971 their only child, Cynthia Ann, was born.  When she was just three months old, Daniel and Norma traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska where he worked for RCA for eighteen months. In his various moves, Daniel served as a fireman - being promoted to lieutenant, a detective, a designer of prisons and hospitals, a ham radio operator, and a pilot among other things. When Cindy was a teenager, she and Daniel joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In that same year, he and Norma divorced and he began a single life.  After several years he met and married Elaine Issacson Gregory on August 9, 2002.  She was a widow with two sons: Ed and JB.  He and Elaine lived in Seattle for several years until 2005 when he retired from the University of Washington Hospital where he was one of the chief engineers.  They decided to sell their respective homes and purchase a travel trailer to travel around the United States.  This did not last long as Elaine became quite ill, so they decided to settle in Moriarty, NM.  Elaine passed away in February of 2011 leaving Daniel very lonesome.  Later that year, Daniel met and married Victoria Benson Richins on November 25, 2011 in the Salt Lake City temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  They spent eight very happy years together.  Daniel passed away the morning of January 4, 2020 in his home in Moriarty.  He is survived by his current wife, Victoria Starks, his daughter Cynthia Ann Newton, grandchildren: Heidi Hurt (Jamie), Michael, Christian (Kerry), Sam, Rachel, Jacob, and Joseph Newton; also great grandchildren Emily and Jamie Jr. Hurt, and James Newton.  He is also survived by Ed and JB Gregory, and Daniel A. Richins, and Victoria L. Wilson (Michael). A Memorial Service is scheduled for Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 5:00 P.M. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at the Estancia Valley Ward Building. Bishop Kerry Mower will officiate. The Burial will be at the Sutton Cemetery in Maddison County, Idaho.