Daniel Paul Schultz was born April 8, 1970, in Niamey, Niger, West Africa. On October 9, 2026, he was ushered into the presence of Jesus in Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 56.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on October 17, 2026, at Slater Baptist Church (601 Story St., Slater), followed by a funeral service at 2:00 p.m. A graveside service will follow at Sheldahl Cemetery (5275 NW 158th Ave., Polk City). Drinks and light refreshments will be served at the church afterward. The family grieves that Daniel is no longer with them but rejoices that he is with his Savior. In honor of Daniel’s happy, social personality, guests are invited to wear bright, fun colors to the services if they wish.

Daniel was born with 9p-, a rare chromosomal condition affecting his intellectual and physical abilities. He was one of the oldest known individuals living with this condition. Throughout his life, Daniel persevered. When he was still an infant, his family moved to France as missionaries. Growing up in France, Daniel became fluent in French and attended French schools. At about age 12, Daniel went away to a three-week ski camp in the Alps and learned to ski.

At age 14, Daniel and his family moved to the U.S., beginning life on his third continent. At 16, Daniel became a member of Slater Baptist Church, and at 21, he graduated from Ruby Van Meter School in Des Moines. At Ruby Van Meter, Daniel learned to ride the public bus system independently, traveling from 28th Street in Des Moines to Altoona and back. He learned practical skills, from cleaning tables in the hospital snack area to polishing doorknobs. He also spent several years working with Maytag parts at a sheltered workshop in Newton.

Friends and family remember Daniel’s outgoing personality and his friendly, welcoming smile. He never met a stranger and often greeted everyone with hugs. He enjoyed McDonald’s cheeseburgers and fries, Dairy Queen, taking things apart, puzzles, birdwatching, his stuffed animals, and playing Uno Attack — especially pushing the button for more cards.

In his later years, he treasured his beloved cat, Cisco, developed an interest in fishing, and collected Christmas and seasonal ornaments to display in his room — year-round. He looked forward to receiving birthday and Christmas cards, but specifically those that played music. Despite differing loyalties of family members, Daniel chose to be a proud Iowa Hawkeyes fan. Even decades after leaving France, Daniel was still bilingual and enjoyed speaking French with overseas family on the phone.

Daniel loved the periodic weekend trips to see his family. Saying goodbye at the end of the weekend was hard, and he would count the weeks until the next hello. Between visits, he called home regularly and would ask for the latest news about his parents and each brother. Every call ended with a “My dad, my boy” ritual with his dad, repeated multiple times — a seemingly obligatory routine they both knew by heart, but that no one else could come close to replicating.

Daniel and his family were especially grateful for his host parents, Tammy and Shawn Gould, whose loving support, consistency, and structure helped him thrive and live as independently as possible. He treasured his special buddy, Jayden, who kept him entertained and young at heart.

Daniel is survived by his parents, Bob and Liz Schultz; his brothers and sisters-in-law, Jonathan (Amy) Schultz, David Schultz, and Timothy (Tiffany) Schultz; and his nieces, Adylin Cogley, Alexis Schultz, and Katelyn Schultz.

Donations can be made in Daniel’s memory to Alpha Women’s Center in Ankeny, because every child deserves to be born (www.awcdesmoines.org/donate); to Slater Baptist Church (www.slaterbaptistchurch.org); or to Candeo, who provided advocacy, education and family living arrangements for Daniel (www.candeoiowa.org).

When meeting new people, Daniel often boldly asked “Do you know God?” He wanted to make sure others believed in God so they could spend eternity in heaven. So to the reader, we ask, “Do you know God?” If you would like to know more about believing in God and the hope of enjoying heaven as Daniel is right now, we would be honored to share more with you.