Richmond, Kentucky - Daniel Gerard Uckotter, 73, husband of Patti Borchers Uckotter, passed away on Sunday, April 12, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Covington, Kentucky, on July 17, 1952, to the late Joseph and Anna Kundek Uckotter. Dan attended St. Augustine Catholic School, then graduated from Covington Catholic High School in 1970. He earned his B.S. degree in Physics from Thomas More University and his M.S. degree in Astronomy from Vanderbilt University. From an early age, Dan was fascinated by astronomy. After graduate school, he moved to Huntsville, Alabama and began working as a

computer programmer for a private contractor on military projects. He eventually found his

dream job at Brown Engineering in Huntsville, working on various NASA projects including the

Space Shuttle and, most recently, the Artemis I and II Moon Missions. While he retired in 2022,

Dan was very proud to celebrate the success of the much anticipated manned lunar flyby mission in early April 2026. Dan's Catholic faith was very important to him, and he often attended daily Mass and served the church in various ways. His hobbies included photography and genealogy and he loved animals of all kinds. He was a kind, loving man who enjoyed being with his family whenever he could. He will be sorely missed by the many people whose lives he touched. Dan is survived by his wife, Patti Uckotter; daughters Marie, Martha, and Anna Uckotter; stepchildren Chris (Hilary) Costello, Elizabeth (Brack Morgan) Costello; and grandchildren, Maren Costello, Sloane Costello, Colton Morgan, Isaiah Morgan, and Anderson Morgan. He is also survived by his brothers Ken(Diane) Uckotter, Tim Uckotter; sister Mary Uckotter; and sister-in-law Donna Uckotter, as well as nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his first wife Chrystie Uckotter and brother Dave Uckotter. Visitation will be held on Saturday, April 18th, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at St. Mark Catholic Church, 608 W Main St, Richmond, KY, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 PM. Burial will be Monday, April 20th at St. John's Cemetery in Fort Mitchell, KY. Contributions may be directed to the Sisters of Notre Dame, 250 Grandview Drive, Suite 50, Fort Mitchell, KY 41017, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or a charity of your choice. Ol