Dan J. Biehler

Dan J. Biehler, Jr., of Washington, Pennsylvania, passed away at McMurray Hills Manor on March 8, 2024. Born in Glen Dale, West Virginia, September 4, 1942, to the late Dan and Helen (Diehl) Bihler, he was 81 years old.
Dan is survived by his wife, Nina (Warren), and his daughter, Heather (Marc) Stone. Dan was preceded in death by his sister Judy (George) Thompson and his brother, David Bihler.

Dan attended several colleges and universities, including Bethany College, West Virginia University, the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University, culminating in a Ph.D. in psychology.

Dan was a man of many interests and he was very lucky to be able to spend his life doing things he loved.
For several years Dan ran a horse stable in Colerain, Ohio, where he boarded horses, gave riding lessons, and built a combined training course. Dan was a great horseman and bought and retrained former Thoroughbred race horses. Together with one of his favorite horses, Michael P., he fox hunted and competed in combined training events and hunter paces. It was during this time that he met his wife, Nina, as she also had an interest in horses.

Dan also was an accomplished musician, playing the button box (accordion), the hammered dulcimer and several other instruments. He had an Irish band and a German band. Back in the early 1990’s Dan played his button box weekly at the Penn Brewery, on the North Side, entertaining the patrons, and was engaged to play at many German festivals and Oktoberfests. With a vast knowledge and expertise in German folk music and dance, he was active in the Gauverband Nordamerika, an organization that preserves and perpetuates the cultural history of Bavaria and Tyrol. He enjoyed attending their festivals at various cities around the country, playing music and socializing with other musicians and dancers.

Dan was a member of the Teutonia Mannerchor German club, on the North Side of Pittsburgh, and sang with the choir. He was one of the founding members of the Alpen Schuhplattler und Trachten Verein d’Pittsburgher, a German dance group which is still in existence after sixty years. The German club and the many friends he made there were an important part of Dan’s life.

Dan’s other interests included antique cars, steam engines and locomotives. Dan’s parents owned many antique cars and his father instilled in him a love of tinkering with engines and cars. Dan enjoyed working on his 1921 Ford Model T, a car he inherited from his father.

In more recent years Dan helped Nina with her interests in Weimaraner dogs. Together they have fostered numerous dogs for Tri-State Weimaraner Rescue, and since 2004 there has always been at least one Weimaraner in their household. Dan will be missed by his two current Weims, Harley and Striker.

According to Dan’s wishes, there will be no visitation and, instead, a celebration of Dan’s life will be scheduled for the near future.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Tri-State Weimaraner Rescue, 3119 Belvidere Road, Phillipsburg, NJ 80065, or City Mission of Washington, 84 West Wheeling Street, Washington, PA 15301.

Please view and sign the family’s online guestbook at www.PittsburghCremation.com.