The UD graduate had been working in construction and was recruited by Gerry Miller (whom he attended UD with) to start a new construction company. After the addition of a third partner, Jim Walsh, the Miller-Valentine Group was founded in 1963.
“His partners often reference his ‘great mind’ and how he served as the ‘force that kept the company grounded,’” Miller-Valentine Group Elizabeth Mangan said in a statement. “By all accounts, Dan could have accomplished anything he determined to pursue. Those that had the privilege to work with him would note that he always remained humble in the midst of his success.”
According to a company history, the company capitalized on a nation with rapid construction and development of infrastructure; particularly roads, highways, and bridges. The company continued to grow through the 1970′s by developing tilt-up construction expertise and then grew into a full-service real estate company.
Miller-Valentine now has offices in Cincinnati and Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina, and states it has constructed or developed over 100 million square feet of commercial real estate, as well as over 15,000 multi-family units.
Born in New Philadelphia, Ohio, after graduating from high school he went to work for the city of New Philadelphia Water Department.
“As Dan told the story, he was assigned to a garbage truck one day due to a shortage of personnel. This event was the impetus for him to seek an alternative path,” the family wrote in his obituary. He reached out to the nuns at St. Joseph for guidance and they advised him to attend the University of Dayton and study engineering.
While attending the University of Dayton and attended the University of Illinois where he earned a master’s degree in Structural Design. After a brief deployment to El Paso, Texas, to fulfill an ROTC commitment, he returned to Ohio to use his education and begin his new life, where he eventually went on to co-found the company.
The family wrote that his parting words to his family were “I led a good life. You all lead a good life.”
Any donations can be sent to the following organizations: The Hospice of Dayton Foundation, who provided care for Valentine, at 324 Wilmington Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, 45420, or to SANCAP Catholics P.O. Box 384 Sanibel Island, FL 33957. Online condolences can be sent to TobiasFuneralHome.com
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