Dan Russell Heartsill

Dan Russell Heartsill, alias Dan Dan the Tire-Man, was born September 21,1950 in Weatherford Texas. He was the third child of John L. and Mayme Ruth Heartsill. Dan started working in the summers for his dad at Heartsill’s Tire Store, located on the Weatherford square, at the age of 10. Dan would listen to the local businessmen and politicians who would gather to drink a coke, read the papers and discuss politics, business and sports. From these early years watching and listening, Dan developed into an expert tire man, businessman and sports handicapper.

He was always very popular at Weatherford High School. His great wit and the fact that he never said a bad word about anyone made him one of the favorites in his class. Dan continued to work at the store until leaving for Austin, Texas to become a proud Texas Longhorn. After three years at Texas, he hired on with Texas and Pacific Railroad where he worked for a brief time before returning to Weatherford to work with his father and later becoming the sole owner. He continued to work at Heartsill’s Tire Store right up to weeks before his death.

Dan was a natural leader and had a unique outlook on life. He worked six days a week and rarely missed a day. Dan loved his job and his customers, which he considered more as friends than customers. In later years, when the talk of retirement was mentioned he would reply, “What am I going to do, this is where all my friends are?” As word spread of the closing of the store, Dan didn’t want to make people worry about him, so he would tell them “he was going fish’n“. Customers would frequently drop by and tell stories of not buying tires anywhere else since 1970, or that their Grandfathers had brought them to the tire store, and they were now bringing their Grandchildren.

Dan lost his battle with lung cancer on October 5, 2017. Dan is survived by his wife Mary Heartsill, brother Sam Heartsill and wife Cheryl, nephews Marvin Hurt McGuire IV, John L. Heartsill McGuire, Mathew McGuire and niece Marianne McGuire and their families. He is also survived by grandchildren Jessica, Cristopher, Brice and Connor, other extended family members, and his special canine pals, Pete and Maggie.

A celebration of Dan’s life and a memorial service will be held at the Greenwood Baptist Church on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 at 2:00 P.M., where friends will be encouraged to share their memories of Dan. Honorary pallbearers are Johnny Chesney, Doug Turpin, Gary Plugge, Mike Cox, Greg Reasoner, Rick Cortez, Gary Killion and all his customers. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Weatherford Animal Shelter.