"They kept getting worse," Debra Tankersley said.
Services were held at the high school because a large crowd was expected. Tankersley was a 1970 Oakwood graduate.
A memorial service followed the funeral at Tank's Bar and Grill, 2033 Wayne Avenue in Dayton.
Tankersley established the iconic Dayton bar in 1987.
Tankersley has been cremated and his remains will be taken to Key Biscayne, Florida, says wife Debra. Within the next year, he will be laid to rest in the Neptune Memorial Reef, an underwater gardens. Debra, his wife, will be able to scuba dive with the ashes to the underwater city. She says one day, her remains will be there too.
An avid Jimmy Buffett fan and scuba diver, Tankersley was passionate about the ocean and aquatic life.
In lieu of flowers, his family will collect money that will later be donated to an ocean related charity.
He attended Sturgis Motorcycle Rally annually.
Debra Tankersley said many people know about her husband's passions.
"Dan was an open book," Debra Tankersley said. "He didn't hide anything from anyone."
He was the grandfather of six and father to Debra's three children and son-in-law; Stephanie and Thomas Starbucks Jr. and Ryan and Jessica Bower.
Dan Tankersley is survived by two brothers and a sister, Timothy and Jerry Tankersley of the Dayton area and Carolyn Pangi of California.
He was preceeded in death by his parents Suzanne and Hugh Tankersley.
Debra Tankersley said her husband loved being a grandfather.
"His grandchildren were the center of his life because he never dreamed he was going to be able to be a grandfather," she said. "He never dreamed he would get married."
"Tank's will continue. It is his legacy. We will be open 7 days a week," she said. "Costomers come first."
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