Every man leaves behind some sort of legacy when he departs from this world.

For Oxford Township resident Jerry W. Daniels, it’s the hundreds of beautiful walking sticks he meticulously handcrafted for local military veterans as a way to honor them for their service and sacrifices.

“The guys who got those canes, I’m sure they’re going to remember Jerry forever,” said Jim Parkhurst, friend and fellow veteran.

On Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, Daniels, who was commander of American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 108 and senior vice commander of American Legion Post 108, passed away following a home accident the day before. He was 70.

“He was always there to help with a big smile,” said Parkhurst, a Post 108 member for approximately 30 years and past commander.

“He never had a bad word to say about anybody. You’d never hear him swear or anything like that. Just a great guy. He was a kind, caring individual, very giving.”

Daniels was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He served from 1966-68. His orders to go to Vietnam were cancelled and he ended up spending 18 months in West Germany as an ordnance inspector.

He was actively involved in both the American Legion and AMVETS. “He was proud to be part of those organizations,” Parkhurst said.

Parkhurst recalled Daniels standing at the post’s front door, greeting visitors and making them “feel at home” with his warm and friendly disposition.

Daniels would do anything for Post 108, including dressing up as the Easter Bunny to entertain children at the Easter party.

“He just loved kids,” Parkhurst said.

But it’s the walking sticks for which Daniels will probably be best remembered. He spent an average of about six hours working on each one. That included finding the perfect piece of wood, scraping off the bark and sanding it, and coating it with polyurethane. He tried to preserve and accentuate the natural beauty of the wood as much as possible. For the finishing touch, Daniels always affixed a uniform button representing a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Daniels started making the walking sticks about 13 years ago for members of the Legion’s Honor Guard. He then began crafting them for older veterans at the post. After that, the hobby took on a life of its own and he started giving them to just about every veteran he encountered.

“Vets came (into the post) and he would hand them a walking stick,” said Parkhurst, who estimated Daniels made approximately 300 of them. “I know it meant a lot to those guys that another vet made those.”

“I get such a kick out of it,” Daniels told the Leader in a November 2015 interview. “I enjoy seeing their faces light up.”

Much of the wood he used came from Addison Oaks County Park in Addison Township where Daniels worked as a groundskeeper. He started working there after retiring from a 30-year career with General Motors in 1998.

Daniels is survived by his wife of 47 years, Linda; children Michelle (Mark) Friedrichs, Danielle (Joshua) Matheny, Cheryl (Josh) Salens and Pamela (Chris) Ophus; and grandchildren Payton, Carley, Luken and Hunter.

He is also survived by siblings Wanda (Stacy) Boatright, JoAnn (Alfred) Martin, Barbara Sapp, Kenneth (Marlene) Daniels and Pam (Fred) Pettingill.

Daniels was preceded in death by his parents Boyd and Twila Daniels.

He attended Hunters Creek Community Church in Metamora.

Visitation will be at the Sparks-Griffin Funeral Home (111 E. Flint St.) in Lake Orion on Wednesday, Oct. 4 from 3-8 p.m. with a Poppy Ceremony at 7 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at the same location on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. Burial with military honors will follow at Eastlawn Cemetery in Orion.

Memorial contributions may be made to the AMVETS.