Relmond P. VanDaniker III

Online Obituaries for Lexington VAN DANIKER III, Dr. Relmond Paul Van, 74, husband of Dolly Yancheski Van Daniker, died November 17 at home in Lexington, KY. Born Aug. 12, 1942 in Baltimore, MD, he was the son of the late Relmond Paul Van Daniker Jr. and Margaret Tuite Van Daniker. Dr. Van Daniker attended the Air Force Academy in Colorado, received his undergraduate accounting degree from Loyola University, as well as a masters degree in finance and a doctorate in business administration, both from the University of Maryland. He served as a Professor of Accounting at the University of Kentucky for 31 years. A pioneer in establishing and influencing governmental accounting standards and practices dating back to the 1970s, Van was instrumental in the development of the state of Kentucky accounting system, and worked with the Cost Accounting Standards Board, the state government accounting project and the Council of State Governments. He was the principal investigator for a National Science Foundation grant to develop generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for state governments. A founder and the first executive director of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT), Van was among the inaugural group indoctrinated into NASACTs Hall of Fame in 2015. He ended his illustrious career as the CEO of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) in Alexandria, Virginia, from 2003 until his retirement in 2014. Throughout his long career, he was a tireless advocate for government accountability and fiscal transparency, championing Citizen-Centric Reporting and other initiatives that opened the doors of government to the citizens. AGA recently renamed its Government Transparency Award the Relmond P. Van Daniker Government Transparency Award. He was a past national president of the International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management (ICGFM), a member of AGA, a longtime member of AGAs Central Kentucky Chapter and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He was the recipient of numerous awards, including AGAs Author and Presidents Awards. Van had many passions outside of work and family, including his love of horse racing, University of Kentucky basketball, the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens, and his prized sports memorabilia collection. He volunteered and served on many boards, coached numerous basketball and baseball teams, and mentored countless colleagues. His network of friends stretches across the country and around the world. He was a parishioner of Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church for nearly four decades. Most important to Van was Dolly, the love of his life and bride of 50 years, their five children and 12 grandchildrenwith another on the wayhis sisters and brother, and countless extended family members. Known for his big personality, charm, wit and passion, you couldnt spend time with Van and not be richer for having known him. He was also known for countless catch phrases, such as Top of my game and If not us, who? If not now, when? In addition to his wife, survivors include five children, Jennifer (Mark) Dobbs, Janet Middleton, Ryan Paul (Lesley) Van Daniker, all of Lexington, KY, Father Derek Van Daniker, SDB, Orange, NJ, and Julianne (Wesley) Rainey, Lexington, KY; twelve grandchildren, Brooke, Rebecca, Tyler, and Andrew Dobbs, Zachary and Abby Middleton, Cody and Cali Prater, Relmond Evan and Hannah Van Daniker, Baylor Paul and Graven Rainey; two sisters, Mary Serio and Elizabeth Brasauskas, both of Baltimore, MD, and one brother, Thomas Van Daniker, of Sarasota, FL; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Funeral Information A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00am Tuesday, November 22 at Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 2501 Clays Mill Rd., Lexington, KY 40503. An End of Life Celebration will be held at Clark Legacy Center, Brannon Crossing, on Monday from 4:00 - 8:00pm, followed by a prayer service from 8:00 to 8:30pm. Visitation will be held Tuesday from 9:30-11:00am at the church.