Dan Hauff

Dan Hauff

November 24, 1941 - April 26, 2021

Dan Hauff passed away in Seattle, WA. on April 26, 2021, he was 79 years old. Dan was born in Leavenworth, WA. on November 24,1941 to Ervin and Linda Hauff. He graduated from Peshastin Dryden High School in 1960 where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. Dan left high school to walk on with the University of Washington baseball team as a pitcher. Dan was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity where he was Rush chairman. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1964 with a Bachelor Science (BS) degree in Political Science. On November 14, 1964, Dan married the love of his life Carol, and they enjoyed 57 wonderful years together raising two daughters Kristi Darlington of Sammamish, WA and Tricia Gaffney of Duvall, WA.

After graduating from the University of Washington Dan started and sold three insurance companies. One was so successful it was sold to Great American Insurance Company out of Ohio, a fortune 500 company. Dan tried to retire after his last company sold and bought a vacation home in Palm Springs, CA. where he and Carol along with family and friends spent several years enjoying the sun and playing golf but his mind continued to want to start yet another company and in 2005, he started InstaCOVER. His influence on the equipment finance industry was highly respected for the work he did developing what is today an industry standard in lease insurance. His passion for the company was indisputable and his belief in the people that worked for him resonates still today.  He believed in people first, and believed it was good people that make good businesses. The foundation that Dan built at instaCOVER will forever remain. His legacy of hard work and leadership within the culture, high standards in the product he produced, and the belief that success is achievable if you’re passionate enough about what you do still remains. His daughter Kristi still works for the company today.

Dan enjoyed spending summers at the family cabin on the Hood Canal and nothing could take him away from his beloved Huskies. Dan and Carol were season ticket holders and bled purple and gold. Dan even had a purple and gold motorhome called the Dawg Wagon that the family would take to all the home games and tailgate this was a family tradition every fall. It was there Dan introduced all of his grandsons to Husky football as babies. Dan enjoyed watching all of his grandsons play football and baseball and never missed a game. He was their loudest supporter.

Dan is survived by his beautiful wife Carol, daughter Kristi Darlington, daughter Tricia Gaffney, grandsons Dalton Darlington (Maple Valley, WA) Peyton Darlington (Sammamish, WA) Cayden Gaffney (Duvall, WA) and Hunter Franco (Sammamish, WA), and Sibling Sandy Shelby (Jim). He is preceded in death by his father Ervin Hauff and mother, Linda Hauff.

Dan’s celebration of life was attended by immediate family members is front of Husky Stadium on the water where his ashes were spread while the Alumni Husky Marching band played Celebration from the dock on Lake Washington. Dan’s famous last words were always “Go Dawgs!”