(From Westfield Chapel)Daniel Stephan Hentschel (Big Dan Hentschel), 72, of Springdale, AR, the voice of multiple morning radio shows in Northwest Arkansas, passed away surrounded by his family in the early morning hours of March 30, 2024.
Born June 6, 1951, in Independence, MO, Dan was the son of Bernard S.K. and Juanita Amos Hentschel. He grew up the youngest of four siblings on a farm outside of Kansas City.
As a young child, Dan became fascinated with the world of comic books, with his favorite being Superman. He loved playing with the family farm dogs and traveled across the country with his parents during his younger years.
Dan always had a love for music, playing the tuba in secondary school. His love of music quickly transitioned to a passion for radio. A young Dan Hentschel could be found gathering old microphones from secondhand shops and interviewing friends in a make-believe radio show. Upon graduation from Blue Springs High School in 1969, Dan followed his radio dreams to John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR. While at JBU, he pursued a degree in broadcasting and began serving as an afternoon DJ for the school’s radio station, KUOA, during his senior year. Dan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting in 1973 and launched his radio career. Over the next 50 years, Dan would become a staple of Northwest Arkansas radio.
From 1973 to 1991, Dan worked for a variety of radio stations as both a disc jockey and program director. In 1991, he took on the persona of “Big Dan Hentschel” and became the program director and morning show jockey for Power 105.7 in Northwest Arkansas. For the next eight years, Dan brought laughs and Top 40 music hits over a 100,000-watt signal that spanned areas of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. After a brief stint in Texarkana, Dan moved back to Springdale in 2002 to become a program director for multiple country and news-talk stations for Cumulus Media Group. Later in life, Dan would recall that the years serving as the morning show jockey on country stations US 94 and Nash 94.3 were the most enjoyable of his career. Over the last 20 years, you could find Dan at events across Northwest Arkansas, serving as an emcee for the Tontitown Grape Festival, various charitable events, and remote broadcasts for local car lots. Dan always said, “I haven’t gone to work a day in my life—I love what I do.” All those who listened to Dan’s booming baritone voice through his 50 years on radio could testify to the truth of that statement.
During his time at Power Radio Group, Dan met his future bride, Jean (Wright) Hentschel. They were married in 1993 in true Big Dan fashion—live on the air at a Ford Dealership in Rogers. Dan and Jean loved spending time at their pool with their dogs (Jack, and now Max), entertaining friends, and taking trips to the Alabama Gulf Coast. Dan was a loving father to three children from a previous marriage. He once said “No father could be MORE PROUD of his children. They are so much MORE than me, as it should be.” He was an avid member of the Southern Baptist Church, where he enjoyed classic hymns. Later in life, he most enjoyed spending time with his six grandchildren. He was fond of sharing KitKats and freezer pops with the kids, watching them swim at the pool, and treating them to gifts of Matchbox cars.
Dan always enjoyed the holidays, especially Thanksgiving with the family. Dan’s Thanksgiving traditions included baking a variety of fresh pies the night before Thanksgiving, eating a classic Thanksgiving dinner, watching Holiday Inn, then helping the grandkids decorate the Christmas tree, never concerned if an ornament was lost in the process.
Dan always had a love for music, playing the tuba in secondary school. His love of music quickly transitioned to a passion for radio. A young Dan Hentschel could be found gathering old microphones from secondhand shops and interviewing friends in a make-believe radio show. Upon graduation from Blue Springs High School in 1969, Dan followed his radio dreams to John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR. While at JBU, he pursued a degree in broadcasting and began serving as an afternoon DJ for the school’s radio station, KUOA, during his senior year. Dan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting in 1973 and launched his radio career. Over the next 50 years, Dan would become a staple of Northwest Arkansas radio.
From 1973 to 1991, Dan worked for a variety of radio stations as both a disc jockey and program director. In 1991, he took on the persona of “Big Dan Hentschel” and became the program director and morning show jockey for Power 105.7 in Northwest Arkansas. For the next eight years, Dan brought laughs and Top 40 music hits over a 100,000-watt signal that spanned areas of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. After a brief stint in Texarkana, Dan moved back to Springdale in 2002 to become a program director for multiple country and news-talk stations for Cumulus Media Group. Later in life, Dan would recall that the years serving as the morning show jockey on country stations US 94 and Nash 94.3 were the most enjoyable of his career. Over the last 20 years, you could find Dan at events across Northwest Arkansas, serving as an emcee for the Tontitown Grape Festival, various charitable events, and remote broadcasts for local car lots. Dan always said, “I haven’t gone to work a day in my life—I love what I do.” All those who listened to Dan’s booming baritone voice through his 50 years on radio could testify to the truth of that statement.
During his time at Power Radio Group, Dan met his future bride, Jean (Wright) Hentschel. They were married in 1993 in true Big Dan fashion—live on the air at a Ford Dealership in Rogers. Dan and Jean loved spending time at their pool with their dogs (Jack, and now Max), entertaining friends, and taking trips to the Alabama Gulf Coast. Dan was a loving father to three children from a previous marriage. He once said “No father could be MORE PROUD of his children. They are so much MORE than me, as it should be.” He was an avid member of the Southern Baptist Church, where he enjoyed classic hymns. Later in life, he most enjoyed spending time with his six grandchildren. He was fond of sharing KitKats and freezer pops with the kids, watching them swim at the pool, and treating them to gifts of Matchbox cars.
Dan always enjoyed the holidays, especially Thanksgiving with the family. Dan’s Thanksgiving traditions included baking a variety of fresh pies the night before Thanksgiving, eating a classic Thanksgiving dinner, watching Holiday Inn, then helping the grandkids decorate the Christmas tree, never concerned if an ornament was lost in the process.
Dan will be dearly missed and forever remembered by his wife, Jean Hentschel, of Springdale; his daughters and sons-in-law, Virginia Hentschel and Alan Good of Asbury, MO; and Stephanie White and Adam White of Fayetteville, AR; his son Daniel Hentschel of Fort Smith, AR; his siblings, Malinda Westerlund of St. Louis, Karlann Jons of Centerview, MO, and David Hentschel of Raymore, MO, and his grandchildren George, Rush, Oscar, Hoyt, Rose, and Faye.
A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, at the Oak Grove Baptist Church in Springdale, with the Reverend Guy Durkee presiding. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association or American Heart Association.
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