Daniel Lee Middleton, Jr., age 53, passed away February 17, 2026 in Traverse City, MI. He was born in Decatur, IL to the late Daniel Middleton and Doris Middleton, who survives. Danny is survived by his wife of 27 years, Sondra Middleton; siblings, Kathy (Phillip) Barrish, Trina (Timothy) Stemple, Jessica (Marvin) Bland, and Andrew (Jessica) Middleton; and many nieces and nephews. He was also preceded in death by his two brothers, James Middleton and Ronald Middleton.

Danny was a devoted husband, friend and true love to his wife Sondra. They spent all their free time together enjoying life to its fullest: working together in the recording studio, traveling with the band, installing sound systems and re-building "Maynard" their '69 Chevy truck. Enjoyed outdoor activities, traveling and visiting family and friends.

Danny worked as a low-voltage electrician with CSD and had a passion for playing and recording music.

He was an active member at Central Ministries, where he served on the worship team.

Dan’s career in music began as a bass player and evolved into a highly respected live music and recording sound engineer, with a deep expertise in the design, construction, and installation of professional sound systems. He later founded Digitracks Recording Studio in Fort Wayne, where he engineered and produced countless local and regional artists, leaving a lasting mark on every project he touched.

Selfless friends are hard to find and when you find one, they are certainly special. That was Dan, willing to drop everything to help someone in need. Dan was always checking up on the people he cared about. He genuinely valued people.

Dan could build or fix anything. He was intelligent, creative, and had outstanding technical workmanship. He cared about getting things right.

He helped to lead and mentor others but also had a deep conviction and discernment about living for Christ. He used his hands to make an eternal impact, building audio/visual systems for churches to spread the Gospel. Today, because of Dan’s workmanship, the Gospel goes out throughout the world every week.

Dan is in Heaven because he knew Jesus as his Savior. He wanted his brothers to live for Christ, loved his church, and he left people better than he found them.

Rest easy Dan, no doubt you are up in Heaven rocking on the golden stage of glory. Your earthly family and friends will miss you dearly. We will never forget the impact and contributions to our lives and your selfless devotion to make everyone around you better.

Service is 6:00 pm, Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Central Ministries, 5801 Schwartz Rd., with visitation three hours prior, beginning at 3:00 pm. Memorials may be made to the family. To sign the online guestbook, go to www.fairhavenfortwayne.com