SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Longtime radio personality Dan Farris worked at numerous stations over the span of 40 years. He passed away this week after battling cancer for over a year.

“Every day was an adventure. He made it fun,” said John Small, co-owner of Sunny Radio.

Dan Farris worked here at Sunny Radio for more than five years before passing away. His longtime friend John Small says Farris was more than a coworker.

“He became part of the family, we’d have him over for dinner multiple nights every week. And it was just a great guy. And it was fun to be around. And he cared a lot about other people. And he cared about helping other people. So he was, again, a very genuinely nice guy,” Small said.

Small says Farris was known across the radio world and the community for his infectious personality and for making others laugh.

“I’ve never seen anybody that has the same sense of humor and wit. He had like, the funniest line for everything. And he could defuse even like a tense situation, he could find a way to make it. Where, you know, you would just laugh,” Small said.

Farris kept his cancer diagnosis to himself. But Small says even when he was in hospice, he still tried to make others smile.

“He brought so much life to this place his last few weeks. And again, it’s just he had the ability to make people happy. Even when he was in a terrible position. He was literally on his deathbed, but he was still making people laugh,” Small said.

Today, his memory lives on.

“He made a huge impact. Not only on the community, but every person that he touched every person that you came in contact with,” Small said.

The Celebration of Life will take place on October 14th at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance. The event is open to the public and will start at 6 p.m.