Obituary for Dan McIntyre – Shreveport Times

61-year-old Dan McIntyre was loved by everyone he met. They appreciated his southern charm, beautiful smile and blue eyes, wit and colorful attire that exemplified the Palm Springs lifestyle he enjoyed so much. His motto in life was “Live the best you can while you can”. Dan died on June 21, 2022 at the age of 61 at his home in Palm Springs, California. He fought a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer that began when he was diagnosed in November 2020. Eventually, the cancer began to attack aggressively, and he entered hospice care at home. His beloved husband, Norman Luke, was by his side as he took one last breath and gently crossed over to the other side. Dan was born on May 10, 1961 in Shreveport, LA. He is the only child of Dr. DR McIntyre, MD, and Marjorie Jane Hill McIntyre, both of Shreveport, LA. Dan attended the University of Mississippi for two semesters. His father died towards the end of his second semester and Dan retired from school to return to Shreveport to care for his mother. Rather than return to Ole Miss, Dan decided to pursue a career in cosmetology and trained at Guy’s Academy in Shreveport, LA. After passing the State Board exam, he began styling his hair at various salons in Shreveport. In 1983, at the age of 22, he opened the Ultimate Appearances Salon in a purpose-built building in Shreveport. Dan’s goal with Ultimate Appearances was to bring a West Coast aesthetic to Shreveport. Dan was particularly proud that the salon was eventually named Louisiana Salon of the Year by Modern Salons Magazine. The salon became very popular and continued to grow until Dan later opened a second location for Ultimate Appearances in Shreveport. In 1986 he built a beautiful, state-of-the-art home on Cross Lake in Shreveport. It has become the location for several fundraising events for charities in the area. In 1992 Dan decided to move to Los Angeles, California as he had always loved visiting California. There he began a career selling hair care and beauty products in an area that included San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. As he was building the business, he decided to move to the Palm Springs area. While in Palm Springs, he began a 10-year relationship with partner Alex Sanchez. Dan and Alex later moved to Temecula, Lake Elsinore, and finally San Diego. Dan lived in San Diego for many years before moving to Dallas, TX in 2008. In late 2008 he met his best friend and husband Norman Luke in Dallas, TX. They later moved to Austin, TX for some time. Dan missed his beloved California, so they moved to Palm Springs in 2014. Dan and Norman married in January 2019. Dan and Norman have been active in the Palm Springs gay and lesbian community, including various charities and political organizations. Dan has been an advocate for progressive political organizations that she supports, including DAP Health Partners for Life, the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert’s Ocotillo Club, Desert Stonewall Democrats, and Equality California. They also supported animal rescue and relief organizations such as Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and California Paws Rescue. Dan loved his many pets since childhood, whom he called his babies. His beautiful current baby, Titan, is a Pomsky (Pomeranian and Siberian Husky mix). Titan is known for his striking blue eyes that match Dan’s eyes. Dan will be missed by his countless friends from Shreveport, Texas and California. On Facebook, he built relationships with followers from around the world. Dan loved to talk and met people easily. His fabulous outfits caused a stir everywhere. He loved to cook and was known for throwing fabulous dinner parties at his Palm Springs home. His love of travel took him to many great places and he has always had a special connection to his favorite country, Italy. Dan will be buried on Saturday, July 2, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. in a crypt in the Serenity Mausoleum at El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego, California. A reception will be held after a service in the mausoleum. A celebration of life will be held in Palm Springs at a later date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, we would appreciate donations to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network or another cancer charity of your choice. Since Dan loved animals so much, a donation to any animal welfare organization would be appreciated.