R.I.P.: Dan Culhane, Longtime Twice Cities Radio Personality

WCCO Radio's Dan Culhane has died after battling cancer and getting diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a posting on the WCCO website.  He was 62.

Culhane's wife of 15 years, Nancy Mitchell, on Feb. 26 shared that Culhane had tested positive for COVID-19 around Feb. 10 after getting the OK from his doctor to referee a few hockey games in late January.

Culhane was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in November 2019 and was recovering from a stem cell transplant, his wife shared on her blog.

Dan Culhane

Mitchell says Culhane had mild COVID symptoms until the weekend of Feb. 20, when he started to run a fever. Then on Tuesday, Feb. 23, he went to the University of Minnesota for "basic blood work" and stayed for more tests.

By Thursday, Feb. 25, Culhane had developed a blood clot and for the procedure to remove it, he was placed on a ventilator.

“It is with an utterly broken heart that I share with you the news that by beautiful, loving, romantic, funny, scatterbrained, sensitive husband, Daniel Edward Culhane of nearly 15 years passed away unexpectedly and peacefully early this morning,” Mitchell posted on Sunday. “My world is considerably smaller and darker today. I was honored to be his wife and his best friend.”

Culhane started his career at KQRS and was an integral part of the Tom Barnard show. Worked at Clear Channel as production, then Salem Communications, before coming to WCCO Radio.

Culhane started his own professional voice over work 20 years ago and did commercials for companies such as Macy’s, General Mills, Leinenkugel’s Beer etc.  He also narrated many audio books for Amazon.

A celebration of Life will be held later this year, when conditions are safe for everyone to be included.