Daniel Charles Benyshek

Boulder City, Nevada.

Daniel Charles Benyshek, devoted father, beloved husband, cherished son and brother, dear friend, esteemed scholar, and lifelong adventurer, passed away on February 11, 2025 after a long and courageous battle with terminal brain cancer. He was surrounded by love, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, curiosity, and optimism. 

He was born on July 11, 1963 in Belleville, Kansas and raised in the greater Denver metropolitan area. He spent his childhood summers with his father harvesting wheat in Kansas and his winters in the mountains of Colorado. The peaks and trails of his childhood became the foundation for a lifetime of adventure, shaping his deep connection to nature and his unyielding spirit of discovery.

The son of two educators, Dan was raised with a deep appreciation for the power of knowledge. Education was not just a pursuit, but a guiding principle in his life that shaped his intellectual passion. He was a dedicated research scientist. As a medical anthropologist and an emeritus professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), he spent his career studying the role that maternal diets play in health and disease and worked to better understand what influences new mothers in their postpartum decision making. While his research led him around the world, he specialized in working with pregnant and new mothers in the United States, including among Native American communities in the Southwest. He received his Ph.D. and master’s degree in anthropology from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Colorado. During his impactful career, he authored many academic and professional publications and was regularly invited to speak internationally about his work. 

As a professor, he was a mentor and guide to countless students, fostering critical thinking and discovery. His scientific contributions were profound, but it was his generosity of spirit that made him unforgettable to colleagues and friends.

He was a true gentleman - a deeply kind and compassionate person whose love for his family and friends knew no bounds. He had an expansive and undeniable charisma that was effortless—his warmth, wit, and wonder about the world drew people in, making everyone he met feel valued and heard.

Dan was an explorer at heart. A lifelong mountaineer, technical climber, cyclist, skier, and fly fisherman. He lived each day with an insatiable curiosity and an eagerness to explore the world’s wild places. He felt most alive in the frozen frontiers of ice climbing and alpine skiing. He approached every summit, every challenge—both in the mountains and in life—with the same determination, grace, and humor. Music was the rhythm that guided him. It was a constant companion in his adventures, a source of solace in quiet moments, and a driving force that shaped his passion, creativity, and connection to the world. A talented percussionist, he played his drums until the very end. 

Dan is survived by his wife, Alyssa, and his daughter, Josie (of Boulder City), his parents, Pat and Roger Benyshek (of Littleton, Colorado) ; and sister, Rogene Patterson (of Harbor Springs, Michigan).

Dan, you are forever in our hearts. Rest in love. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dan’s honor to two organizations he supported. 

Olanakwe Community Fund. Dan was a patron for several children in Tanzania, East Africa. He believed that education was a key to unlocking the world.  www.olanakwe.org/ 

The Brain Tumour Charity. Dan was a large supporter of this organization and was driven, all his life, by the power of scientific research and community action. https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/