Dan Sheldon (z”l) was born in Israel to Holocaust survivors and Israeli pioneers, Rena and Jacob Joseph Szczeckocki, on May 29, 1950. Moving to the United States as an adolescent, Dan grew up in San Francisco, attending George Washington HS and was active in the B’nei Brith Youth Movement. He moved on to study at UC Davis where he earned his Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering and maimed a few life-long friends. He continued his education earning a Masters degree in engineering from UCLA followed by a PhD in Operations Research Management Science. After completing his formal education, he spent many years working as an aerospace engineer before venturing out on his own to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.
Though Dan worked hard for many years, his family and loved ones were of utmost importance to him.
He marked the births of his two daughters, Danielle, 25, and Alisa, 23, as the two best days of his life. He enjoyed spending time with them, and passing on a variety of tidbits of knowledge and advice, from mathematical principles to current events to life lessons. He was very close to his older brother Gad (z”l), though their time together was cut short, and enjoyed spending time with him and joking around with him to no end. He was married to Sherrie Lipsky, and though divorced they maintained a close friendship until his the end of his days. He valued quality over quantity and cared deeply for each and every one of his friends, with whom he enjoyed discussing current events, entrepreneurial ideas, and telling stories. He cared greatly about his health and enjoyed exercising daily. He was passionate about his interests and was a staunch Zionist. In his younger days, he was an avid Israeli Folk Dancer, and in more recent years, enjoyed attending academic lectures on matters relating to Israel and the Jewish people. While not religious, Dan was a proud Jew and proud of his heritage. Though a serious man, he enjoyed laughing whole heartedly with his family and friends. He passed away, surrounded by his daughters, on June 23, 2014.

Those wishing to memorialize Dan are invited to make donations to:

Friends of the IDF:
https://www.fidf.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=798
or Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors:
http://www.cjhsla.org/donate-to-cjhs/

May his memory be a blessing.