Dr. Daryl Christopher Thake

Dr. Daryl Christopher Thake passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at the age of 87.

Daryl was born on September 6, 1939, in State Center, Iowa. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Janice (née Harvey); his daughters, Lisa (Pat) Lujin and Jill (Jeff) Myer; his grandchildren, Mackenzie (Jack) Urschler, Carson Lujin, Payton Lujin, and Riley Kilgore; step-grandsons, Jason (Maddie) Myer and James Myer; his sister, Shirley (Rich) Hankom, and extended family. He was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Chris and Louise Thake, and in-laws, Joe and Marian Harvey.

After earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (DVM) from Iowa State University, he served two years in the U.S. Army at Fort Detrick, Maryland, in Special Operations, and earned the rank of Captain. This was followed by six years in the Army Reserve while also earning a Master of Science in Veterinary Pathology from Iowa State University and working at the National Animal Disease Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

As a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, Daryl served as an Assistant Professor in Veterinary Pathology at Colorado State University. He then continued his career as Manager of Pathology at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, and later joined Monsanto in St. Louis, Missouri as Manager of Toxicologic Pathology. Through corporate transitions to Searle, Pharmacia, and Pfizer, he continued his work until retiring from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. His passion for his profession continued well beyond retirement. He then co-founded Seventh Wave Laboratories with a colleague, and in later years established his own consulting business, Midwest Tox/Path Sciences, until he closed his business and fully retired in 2023 at the age of 83. During his career, Daryl greatly enjoyed his many international travels to consult throughout Europe, Mexico, China, and Japan.

Daryl’s passion for the outdoors was evident in his countless hiking adventures, with the Rocky Mountains as his all-time favorite place to hike. He even climbed Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park with an elevation of over 14,000 ft. He also loved running, biking, working in the yard and using his riding mower, as well as working on home projects including fully finishing basements.

He loved all sports, but watching football may have been his favorite, especially cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones. St. Louis Cardinals baseball and St. Louis Blues hockey were other team favorites.

While Daryl took great pride in his professional accomplishments, above all, his life was grounded in his faith in God and love for his family and friends. He was a constant source of encouragement, inspiring his children and grandchildren to believe in themselves. In particular, Daryl enjoyed watching his grandchildren participate in their various activities. He took great delight in creating memories with his family on vacations, especially to the mountains, Disney parks, and Washington DC.

Throughout life’s blessings and challenges, Daryl remained steadfast in his unwavering faith in God. Daryl’s commitment to service in the church was a strong factor in deepening his faith in Christ and growth as a Christian. He faithfully served on several church leadership committees and held various offices within each church he attended. A special and deeply meaningful trip was with Jan and son-in-law, Pat, to Israel exploring the Holy Land with the Methodist Church of the Resurrection group trip led by Pastor Adam Hamilton in 2016.

Though he will be deeply missed, the lessons he taught, the example he set, and the love he shared will remain in the hearts of those who knew him. His favorite scripture was Psalm 23. In Daryl’s words, “This is a Psalm that David wrote and it addresses all phases of life and brings forth the reality that God is always with us no matter what our circumstances are in this life. This is summed up very nicely in the last verse of the Psalm: ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’”

A family service to honor Daryl’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to a charity of your choice. As a service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.

Lovingly written by his family.