It's so sad to lose Dan. I met him back in 2008, I think it was, at a Barcamp in L.A. I was lucky enough to precede his talk, and he was gracious enough to sit through mine. He was a blast to talk to and to learn from. Even his questions were educational.
For me, he was one of my earliest examples of what a hacker was and should be. I aspire to his level of curiosity, openness, and kindness, and he'll be missed.