Chad D. Spiess, 51, of Delta, Ohio, died on April 16, 2014, in a hunting accident at his home. Born August 14, 1962, in Wauseon, he was a 1981 graduate of Delta High School and had worked 19 years for the Ohio Department of Transportation as a sign crew supervisor. Earlier in life he owned and trained Thoroughbred racehorses.

Family and recreational details paint a fuller picture: he enjoyed hunting, trading, and looking for mushrooms at his northern property, and was described as devoted to his son, family, and friends. No arrests, suspects, litigation, or criminal investigation were associated with his death; local authorities determined the incident accidental. He is survived by his father Merril L. Spiess, son Cody Spiess, life companion Lisa Minnick, siblings Shane Spiess, Jodie Spiess, Cindy Parker, and Jill Shehorn, and extended family.