Arlington’s Dan Mohorc remembered as ‘helping soul’ and ‘great man’

When Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington needed a hand with a major fundraiser in April, organizers knew whom they could count on.

It was Dan Mohorc and the staff of his company, Galactic Performance Solutions, who stepped in with technical and marketing assistance and provided and operated audio-visual equipment for the event for free.

Typical of Mr. Mohorc, those close to him said.

“Dan was just a helping soul,” said Nadio Distefano, senior director of resource development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington. “He was always interested in giving back to the community.”

Mr. Mohorc, president and CEO of Arlington-based Galactic Performance Solutions, was killed and another man critically injured Friday night when the boat they were riding in on Cedar Creek Reservoir struck the Texas 198 bridge near Pine Springs at the lake, about 80 miles southeast of Fort Worth. The boat’s operator was arrested on suspicion of boating while intoxicated.

Michael Jacobson, president of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, said he became good friends with Mr. Mohorc in the six months he has been in Arlington.

“Dan would always meet you with a hug, and he cared deeply about people,” Jacobson said.

He said Mr. Mohorc was committed to the company that he founded and very active in the chamber, Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington and Vote Yes! Keep the Rangers With No New Taxes political action committee.

“Dan was absolutely 100 percent committed to Arlington,” Jacobson said.

Gary Cornwell, chief operating officer of Galactic, called the death of his longtime colleague and close friend “a big shock.”

“I always thought he was superman,” Cornwell said. “He was a friend to everyone, a true optimist. He was an amazing husband and father. His wife and kids are a testament to who he was.

“He’s a guy who lived life to his fullest, and he did so on his own terms.”

Daniel C. Mohorc was born in St. Louis, the youngest of seven, and served in the Army as the Vietnam War was ending.

He founded Galactic in 1992, guiding the company to success that was recognized with the Dallas Top 100 Award for growth and achievement in four consecutive years, and Arlington’s Employer of the Year in 2002, according to the family’s paid obituary.

“Galactic has never strayed from its core belief that ‘people do business with people,’ ” the obituary said.

The staff members at the Boys & Girls Clubs were stunned to learn of the accident, said Holly Clinton, the club’s development and events manager.

Mr. Mohorc’s wife, Kelly, serves on the board of directors, and their daughter Riley was named 2015 Miss Cinderella after raising nearly $125,000 during a six-week campaign for the local organization.

She said the major support provided by Mr. Mohorc and his employees for the club’s fundraiser in April, Champions for Kids Breakfast, was crucial to its success.

“It just really meant a lot to us,” Clinton said. “It was a huge help. We definitely would not have done so well without it.”

Cornwell described Mr. Mohorc as a “true champion” of Arlington and Tarrant County and a staunch supporter of Mission Arlington.

“He and a couple of his friends would go around collecting donated bicycles to be able to donate through Mission Arlington to families that didn’t have bikes for their kids,” Cornwell said. “He was a very special man. The net that Dan cast with his influence is wide.”

Cornwell said the weekend trip was a getaway for three very close families.

“They were just very excited to spend time together for the weekend. For Dan, everything was about living life and being with family. If you were friends, you were family,” he said.

The boating accident, he said, is a tragedy for all three families involved and has left Mr. Mohorc’s wife and two children leaning on their faith.

“They’re as concerned about the other two families involved as they are their own,” Cornwell said. “That’s just the way the Mohorcs are.”

Survivors include his wife, Kelly Mohorc; a son, Benjamin Mohorc; a daughter, Riley Mohorc; sisters, Joan Nelson and Nancy Wickersheim; and brothers, Joe Mohorc and John Mohorc.

Staff writers Deanna Boyd and Lee Williams contributed to this report.

This story was originally published July 27, 2016 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Arlington’s Dan Mohorc remembered as ‘helping soul’ and ‘great man’."