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Nov. 16, 1960-April 9, 2023

 

Daniel Paul Gaines, 62 years of age, was called home on April 9, 2023. Dan was born on Nov. 16, 1960, to Paul and Carol Gaines in Hammond, IN. He was a graduate of Thornridge High School in Dolton, IL where he excelled in several plays and performances both on stage and behind the scenes. Anderson College was the next stop and after that, we just could not ever get him to call anywhere else but Indiana home.
At Anderson, Dan received his degree in Communications with a special focus on broadcasting. When one door closed in the world of broadcasting, another opened for Dan and he was able to start a successful DJ business entertaining the masses throughout many of Indianapolis’ finest hotspots. In his mid-twenties, Dan wrote and directed Murder Trap, a play that was performed at his alma mater. This provided a great deal of satisfaction for Dan and was a source of enormous pride for his family.
Dan’s true calling and passion was being the co-owner of Comic Carnival, a comic book and collectibles store in Indianapolis, with his long-time friend and business partner, Tim Reynolds. Together they forged ahead, ever fueling the debate of Marvel vs DC, Star Wars vs Star Trek and on and on. Dan tackled his duties with an uncommon tenacity commonly only found in true superheroes. For that and many other reasons he will be sorely missed.
Dan was preceded in death by his father, Paul and is survived by his mother, Carol of Niles, MI; his brother, Mike (Ann) Gaines of Niles, MI; nieces, Abigail Gaines of Fishers, IN and Emily Gaines of Ft. Wayne; and nephew, Jake Gaines of Bloomington, IN.
Services were held Thursday, April 13, 2023, at Aaron-Ruben-Nelson Funeral Home, 11411 N. Michigan Road, Zionsville, IN 46077. Memorial contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, www.JDRF.org or American Heart Association, www.heart.org
Friends may leave a message of condolence for the family by visiting www.arnmortuary.com