Ken Daniel

Kenneth L. Daniel Jr., 80, of Topeka, passed away Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at Homestead Assisted Living.

Ken was born October 2, 1945, in Roosevelt, Utah, the son of Kenneth L. Daniel Sr. and Lucy Mae (Sperier) Daniel. Growing up Ken was affectionately known as “Tack” amongst family; short for thumbtack which was inspired by his dad Ken Sr.'s nickname “Spike.” 

Ken received a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1970 while serving in the National Guard. 

Ken met his wife Barbara when a mutual friend invited them to play bridge. The were married in 1968 at Countryside United Methodist Church in Topeka.

 Ken's life story is one of self-made success despite humble beginnings. By the time he was in fifth grade, Ken had lived in more than 150 different places in the US due to the nomadic nature of his father's work and the family's difficult economic circumstances. That lifestyle taught him valuable skills for making new friends. At age 11, his family settled down in Oklahoma City and he got his first job where he quickly learned the value of a dollar. He worked in the service industry throughout high school and college, often working 2-3 jobs at the same time to pay his own tuition and living expenses. When Ken married Barbara and returned to college to finish his degree he found his way into part-time laminate sales and quickly discovered a natural aptitude for it. In 1971, he founded Midway Sales and Distributing in Topeka, KS which went on to be his life's work until his retirement in 2019.

He started Midway Sales and Distributing in a closet sized room of what was then the Branner St. school. Soon he would come to own that entire building, build onto several adjacent lots and expand the company to nine cities in three states. Eventually Midway Sales and Distributing became Midway Wholesale, a multi-million dollar business with close to 200 employees. He was a fierce advocate and lobbyist for small businesses, best remembered for founding the Topeka Independent Business Association in 2006. He received several awards for this, most notably national recognition as a “Small Business Champion” from the National Federation of Independent Business. In 2020 he was honored to be inducted into the Topeka Business Hall of Fame. 

Ken was socially active in the Topeka community as well. When he and Barbara settled in Topeka, he took up many sports including racquetball, swimming, skiing, cycling, bowling, boating and fishing. His vacation time was often spent in pursuit of these interests with annual road trips to Colorado, Table Rock Lake and Canada. He was a decades long season ticket holder at Topeka Civic Theatre; sang in the church choir and played the guitar and clarinet. He took on leadership positions with the YMCA, YMCA Foundation, Rotary Club, Topeka Jaycees, 20/30 club, National Federation of Independent Business and Construction Specifications Institute as well as serving on a multitude of boards. Since Ken was the type who never met a stranger, his welcoming smile, firm handshake, loud voice and outgoing nature made him new friends everywhere he went. Many of those friendships became life long. 

When not working or volunteering, Ken enjoyed quality time with his family and dogs. He studied up on genealogy and spent years extensively researching his family ancestry. He also loved being outdoors and could frequently be found riding on his tractor, creating walking trails in the woods around his house and feeding the fish each evening in the backyard pond. In the evenings he enjoyed winding down in his recliner with a glass of bourbon, a bowl of popcorn, a dog at his feet and the evening news on TV. 

Survivors include his wife, Barbara (Schrade) Daniel; daughter Robin (Tony) Michael; grandchildren Abby and Kennedy Michael; his dog Molly and numerous cousins. 

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at Countryside United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 25th at 2:00pm with a reception immediately following. 

Cremation is planned. 

In lieu of flowers please consider making a memorial contribution in his honor to one of the following: Countryside UMC at 3221 SW Burlingame Rd. 66611; Homestead Assisted Living at 5820 SW Drury Ln. 66604 or an animal charity of your choosing. 

To share a memory of Ken or leave a special message for family, visit the guestbook below.