Rev. Daniel David Oravec, 84, of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, died peacefully at home on Friday, January 16th, 2015. Born on March 31, 1930 to George and Cecelia Oravec, he was raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Johnstown Central High School in 1950. He attended Gettysburg College and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. He served two churches in Pennsylvania before moving to Maryland. There, in 1964, he founded Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Gaithersburg where he served for 34 years. His ministry was marked by a spirit of love for all people and caring for the needy. Following his retirement he lived in Frederick, Maryland, and then Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Dan is survived by his wife Edwinna Bossler Bernat; his sister Ann Hricko of Johnstown, Pennsylvania; his daughter Susan Petrie and her husband David of Uniontown, Maryland; his son David and his wife Sandy of Annapolis, Maryland; stepdaughters Brenda Hahn and her husband Matthew of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia; stepdaughter Becky Bernat of Palo Alto, California; and stepdaughter Betsy Kuhn and her husband Greg of Poolesville, Maryland. Dan had five grandchildren, Rachel, Matthew, and Timothy Petrie; and Katie and Carrie Oravec; along with six step-grandchildren, Michael and Nicholas Kuhn; Natalie and Nathan O'Hara; Willa Hahn; and Phoebe Miller. He was predeceased by his first wife, Betty Flickinger Oravec. A celebration of Pastor Dan's life will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 16420 S. Westland Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland on Saturday, January 31at 11:00 a.m. For those wishing to make a memorial contribution in Dan's name, you may do so to The World Hunger Appeal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America: ELCA Churchwide Ministries, 8765 W Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631 The Keeney and Basford Funeral Home, Frederick, MD is in charge of arrangements and Rev. Oravec's online memorial is found at www.keeneybasford.com
