Darin John Ficenec of Lakeville, MN, died unexpectedly on Sunday, February 2, 2025, following a brief illness. A visitation will be held on Monday, February 10th, 5:00 – 8:00 PM at White Funeral Home - 20134 Kenwood Trail, Lakeville, MN 55044. Family, friends and colleagues are invited to share their favorite memories of Darin from 7 – 8 PM.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, February 11th at 11:30 AM at All Saints Catholic Church - 19795 Holyoke Ave, Lakeville, MN 55044.

Darin is loved and will be missed by his wife Jennifer and daughters Ella and Johanna; father Joseph Ficenec of DeLamere, ND; siblings Curt Ficenec, Fargo, ND, Tami (Bryon) Metzen, Milnor, ND,  Robert Ficenec, Casper, WY; in-laws Liz & Tim Deck, Karen & Jim Cepress, and Sheila Ficenec; nieces and nephews Nicole (Sam) & Kyle (Kaitlin) Ficenec, Joseph (Kayla), Samuel (Chelsea) & Zachary (Noelle) Ficenec, Logan (Aliyyah) & Gage Metzen, Annie (Casey) & Peter Deck, and Andrew, Alicia & Alex Cepress, and grandnephew Jameson Ficenec. Darin is preceded in death by his mother, Audrey, and brother Chris.

Darin was born May 15, 1968, to parents Joe and Audrey Ficenec in Breckenridge, MN. The youngest of five siblings, Darin grew up in DeLamere, North Dakota. He attended Milnor High School, where he was revered as a Dakota renaissance man, excelling in both academics and athletics. Darin played high school basketball, football, and golf, was a Milnor High Swing Choir member, and was Valedictorian of the Class of '86. He showed promise as a future leader as a Class Officer.

Darin attended Jamestown College in Jamestown, ND, where he studied business, economics, and mathematics while playing Defensive End for 'The Jimmies'. Following his undergraduate studies, Darin enrolled at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, where he earned his Master of Business Administration and unwittingly became a lifelong Minnesotan.

Darin met the love of his life, Jennifer (Bloom) Ficenec, at the U of M. The couple married in 2000 and, just two years later, would embark on their first of many lifetime adventures when they relocated to Dusseldorf, Germany, for a new assignment with Donaldson.  Their daughter Ella Rose was born in Germany in 2004. The party of three returned to the Twin Cities in 2005 and settled in Lakeville. They welcomed daughter Johanna Audrey in 2007.

Darin will forever be remembered as a beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend. Anyone who knows Darin can attest to his warm smile, infectious positivity, immeasurable kindness, and zest for life. Whether it was a mountain biking trip with his grad school buddies, fishing trips with the family, a week on the PGA circuit with 'The Rock' as his caddy, or Italian escapes with Jenny, Darin was always the first in line for a good adventure. Darin treasured time with family and friends and enjoyed annual golf trips, snowmobiling trips, wine-tasting trips, tinkering and discussing cars with his Dad and brothers, or just hanging out at the cabin. Much to the consternation of Jenny and the girls, Darin could quote every line from his favorite movie, The Christmas Story- (To be clear, not his favorite Christmas movie. His Favorite. Movie. Ever.)

Darin brought his passion for life to his career, honing his reputation as a skilled negotiator at a young age. While his older brothers had long been earning pocket money sharpening sickles in their Dad Joe's blacksmith shop, Darin successfully negotiated a 1900% increase over the going rate (much to the chagrin of Chris, Curt and Robert). He also learned the fine art of bargaining from his parents when tagging along to antique auction sales and car shows. These early experiences served him well in his future professional roles.

Darin will be remembered as an invaluable team member at Donaldson and later Element Fleet Management (formerly part of GE Capital). Darin was a dedicated leader, advisor, and mentor, and in the words of his team, 'just a special person.' Throughout his career, Darin earned the trust of both his co-workers and the suppliers he worked with by consistently maintaining a high level of integrity and respect. His approach was always focused on creating win/win situations for everyone involved, turning business relationships into partnerships and friendships.

But more than anything, Darin loved Jenny and his girls. Darin was a consummate 'girl dad'. If you had to highlight a weakness, it was that when it came to Ella and Jojo, Darin couldn't say no, even if that meant learning to braid hair, wearing a coconut bra for the annual Cotton Lake Boat Parade or trying to get one more "quad" on another spin around the lake pulling the kids on the tube. Darin was an adored member of the Lakeville youth sports community, where he coached girls' basketball, volleyball and soccer. When his girls moved on to senior athletics, Darin retired to the sidelines where he reigned as his daughters Ella and Jojo's biggest fans. He was looking forward to procuring a Sprinter van so he and Jenny could become full-time Hawks tailgaters for Jayhawk football/basketball and Duhawk soccer.

Darin's spirit and kindness will continue to resonate in our hearts forever. https://www.youtube.com/live/yfLNemAGoNk

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Mayo Clinic Cancer Research and Care or Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota. https://parksandtrails.org/support/donate/

https://give.mayoclinic.org/give/609586/#!/donation/checkout