“I think we made a positive contribution to the industry. We’ve linked people together.”
— Dan Preston
Daniel S. Preston passed away on the morning of October 14, 2022, in a hotel in Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. The former owner and editor of ShopTalk! magazine died as he had lived, a solitary man. By now you’ve realized that this isn’t going to be a “hearts and flowers” kind of obituary. Dan would have kicked my butt if it was.
I was friends with Dan for over 20 years and we spoke frequently. I never really knew Dan though, but I’ll do my best to tell you what I did know.
Dan came from a railroad family that moved around a lot. He liked to use his hands, so his first jobs were as a carpenter and then a pipe fitter. Dan was well educated, receiving a BA at Madison College and then his master’s at the University of Virginia. Dan
