Daniel Fredrick Maddox, Jr.

Daniel Fredrick Maddox Jr., 78, of Aurora, Colorado, passed away peacefully on March 30, 2026.

Dan was raised throughout the United States and England as the child of an Air Force father. Although his family traveled often, their roots were in Colorado, and they eventually settled back in the Denver area. Dan attended Cherry Creek High School, where he met his first wife, Louise Maddox. Together they had three children: Bonnie, Christian, and Laurie.

In 1981, Daniel married Cynthia Louise Cerven, with whom he shared 45 loving years of marriage and welcomed their son, Joseph.

Dan proudly served the City of Aurora as a firefighter for 28 years, retiring as an Engineer . He lived just one block from Aurora Fire Station #6, where he spent his entire career. Dan was well known at the firehouse as an exceptional cook, famous for preparing many beloved recipes that his fellow firefighters always looked forward to.

Beyond his service, Dan was the owner of Maddox Machine Shop, where he worked for many years as a machinist and welder. Known for his ingenuity, Dan could build or repair just about anything.

Dan was an avid and competitive tennis player, participating on several teams over many years. He was especially proud of his powerful “Black Bart” serve, which he liked to say was “unreturnable by most.”

A natural jokester, Dan had a contagious laugh and an unmatched sense of humor. Making others laugh brought him immense joy. He most cherished time spent with family and friends camping in the mountains, dirt biking, lake camping, jet skiing, boating, and slalom water skiing. He also loved snow skiing in the Colorado mountains.

Dan spent many hours enjoying one of his favorite hobbies—ham radio. Known by his call sign KBØNNE, he spoke with friends around the world and even volunteered his skills assisting during forest fires when communication was limited.

Daniel was preceded in death by his beloved wife Cynthia Louise Maddox (Cerven); his daughter Bonnie Maddox; his parents Daniel and Marjorie Maddox; and his brother David Maddox.

He is survived by his children Christian Maddox (Anna), Laurie Porter (Howard Vasey), Joseph Maddox; his four grandchildren Jaren Porter, Brayden Porter, Presley Porter, and Dawsen Porter; his sister Marcy Guthrie (Mark); many Cerven brothers- and sisters-in-law; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Anyone who knew Dan was touched by his humor, infectious laugh and competitive spirit. He was the patriarch of his family and will be deeply missed. While our hearts grieve his loss, our family rejoices knowing he is reunited with his loved ones and smiling down on us.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Dan’s life are encouraged to make donations in his memory to Alzfdn.org or donations in memory of Cynthia to CJDfoundation.org

The family will host a Celebration of Life on April 18th, 2026, From 2:00-6:00 PM at Dan’s family home in Aurora, Colorado

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