MarionMade!: Dan Stull leaves a legacy in Marion community

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Dan Stull left a legacy of family, music, engineering and entrepreneurship. The 80-year-old lifelong Marion resident died recently.

The Stull family had been in Marion for generations, starting with a grocery story on South Main Street in the late 1800s.

Dan’s father, LeRoy Daniel Stull, was a civil and electrical engineer. He and his wife, Viola Kennedy, raised Dan in Marion.

“I liked growing up in Marion. There were a lot of fun kids around to play with,” Dan told MarionMade! in 2022.

After graduating from Harding High School in 1961, he went to The Ohio State University and landed one of just 144 spots with the marching band.

“It was a real treat. The first game, to perform in front of 80,000 people − it was quite the experience,” Dan said.

Following in father's footsteps then founding Marion Power Shovel

While he loved music, Dan followed in his father’s footsteps and earned his mechanical engineering design degree from Tri-State University in Indiana. He started at Marion Power Shovel in 1966 where Dan designed mining shovels and draglines. His dedication took him to the top of moving equipment to run field tests as the company didn’t want to halt production.

“I climbed all the way to the top of the 300-foot dragline boom with no safety harness. We just had to hold on and hope for a smooth operator,” Dan recalled.

He worked on the world’s largest shovel, the Marion 6360. The crawler frame became the basic design for the NASA crawler-transporter.

“As a kid, they were talking about space exploration. It seemed like a dream. Then It became reality!” Dan exclaimed.

In addition to his full-time engineering job, he started his own company, Mid-Ohio Engineering Services.

“It’s a very challenging and interesting field. Mechanical, electrical, chemical, aeronautical − let your mind run wild. Think outside the box. Think of how to make a process or a product better. Let your imagination take over. That’s how we develop new products,” Dan said. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but learn from them.”

Dan moved to Fairfield Engineering and Fairfield Service Companies of Marion. He worked his way up to president.

'It is like the Emmy or Oscar Awards for our industry'

He took new technology from Sweden and adapted it to the wastewater industry in North America to reduce environmental spills. He won the Innovative Technology Award with the SICON conveyor in Los Angeles in 2000.

“It is like the Emmy or Oscar Awards for our industry,” Dan recalled. “This helped revolutionize the industry.”

After a new owner bought Fairfield, he jumped to E&I Corporation to manage international sales.He retired briefly before working with other retired CEOs to offer an executive coaching and leadership program at the Alber Enterprise Center at The Ohio State University to mentor younger business leaders. He also donated his time and expertise by volunteering at the Huber Machinery Museum and for Marion Technical College.

Friends have fond memories

“Dan was a great friend to Marion Tech. He was willing and able to share his knowledge and experience with our students. All of us at Marion Tech who knew him are grateful for his friendship. He will be missed,” said Mike Augenstein, director of Workforce Solutions at Marion Tech.

“Dab was definitely a great man,” said Marsha Armstrong of Marion.

“He was so much fun to talk with,” said Chris Crawford of Marion.

“I have so many fond memories of attending Ohio State football games with Dan, Claudia and Cindy. Whenever I would go back to Marion, I would visit with them. Wonderful family and memories,” said Johnna Drozdowski.

“I’m a lucky guy. I’m blessed to be here. I like to share anything I can with others,” Dan said. “I’m glad to see the progress in Marion. New businesses are popping up in downtown Marion. We’ve entered a new era.”

Dan married Harding alumna Claudia Chamberlain in 1973. They were married for 46 years, until her death in 2019. They raised their daughter, Cindy Fritch, in Marion.

“Marion is a good place to raise a family,” Dan said.

He also delighted in his granddaughter, Danielle Miller, and his great-grandchildren, Braelyn, Kinslee and Della.

The family will celebrate his life at a funeral on Feb. 3 at the First Presbyterian Church in Marion at 12:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Dan Stull leaves a lasting legacy in his hometown of Marion