Daniel Ralph Galindau

Daniel Ralph Galindau, 70, of Leawood, passed away on March 28, 2025. A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Friday, April 25, at Johnson County Funeral Chapel. Private interment will take place at Johnson County Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions are suggested to the University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Dan was born on February 5, 1955, in Burlingame, California, to Ralph and Marjorie (Smith) Galindau. He grew up in San Mateo, graduating from Aragon High School where he played football and was active in Drama. He then went on to UCLA where he was a member of the ROTC. After his graduation in 1977, he served four years in the U. S. Navy, after which he attended USC, obtaining his MBA in 1983.

In the summer of 1983, Dan started working for HILTI, beginning with one year in sales in Long Beach before moving on to working at the U. S. Headquarters in Tulsa. Dan married Kathy Klein in September of 1991, after which his position with HILTI took them overseas. Dan spent five years in South Korea as the General Manager, and another six years in Hong Kong as the President of the Asia Region. While Dan and Kathy were living overseas, they took every opportunity to visit many countries in Asia and Europe.

After Dan’s retirement from HILTI in 2003, Dan and Kathy moved back to the United States, settling in the Kansas City area. From 2006 until the present, he taught International Business at the University of Kansas, where he discovered a passion for teaching and mentoring his students. Dan was a man of deep faith. He was clever, funny, generous, compassionate and devoted to his wife Kathy. He was extremely proud of each of his nieces and nephews and their accomplishments.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Marjorie. He is survived by his wife, Kathy, of 34 years; a sister, Louise Wiltsey; sisters and brothers-in-law: Rick and Teresa Klein, Kerry and Ginger Klein, Brenda and Robert Owens; and his nieces and nephews: Darien Curl, Paul Klein, Abby Smyers, Sarah Klein, and Sam Owens.