Warren H. Dale

1926 - 2016

Warren Hylton Dale

Hattiesburg, MS

Warren Hylton Dale passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, October 1, 2016, at the age of 90, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

He was born is Des Moines, Iowa, on April 29, 1926, to Vera Channon Dale and Hylton Frederick Dale.

A teacher by nature, his grand passion in life was being the Scout Master of Boy Scout Troop 007, and seeing 140 young men receive their rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program. He was awarded the Silver Beaver and Woodbadge awards in recognition of his service.

Professionally, he began his career as a research chemical engineer for Hercules Inc in Hattiesburg in 1952, creating polymers from pine tree stump resins. He enjoyed a long tenure as a supervisor of the Test Unit and Pilot Plant until his retirement in 1989.

Warren graduated from Riverside High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1944. Soon, World War II interrupted his college plans. In the Air Force, he served at Presque Isle, Maine, as a cryptologist and clerk. After the war ended, he attended Purdue University to study chemical engineering. During his senior year, he was the Editor of the Purdue Engineering Magazine and was President of Tau Beta Pi honorary society. He graduated in 1950 at the top of his class.

During his lifetime in Hattiesburg, he was honored to serve in many ways. He was a member and past president (1977) of the Kiwanis Club. He was a former director and long-time board member of the Hercules Federal Credit Union. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Hattiesburg Housing Authority in May of 1990 where he was still active, and was the Morrow Commissioner of the Year in 2003. He was also a founding member and former president of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), where he was able to share his love of computers and cooking, and enjoy all manner of classes on history and art. And he was an active member of University Baptist Church, a deacon, and sang in the choir for over thirty years. He was a Life Member of BPOElks Lodge # 599 since 1953.

Warren was a man of thought and action, with a generous heart and a seeking mind. He was an avid reader, a teacher, an oral historian, and an enthusiastic artist in a dozen mediums. He was a fisherman, a hunter with bow and gun, an outdoorsman, and a builder. He was an experimental cook, a gardner, a woodworker, and most recently, a jewelry maker. He worked with ceramics, arrow and bullet making, and growing gorgeous orchids. Warren's desire to create and please was unlimited. And he told a scary campfire story.

Warren usually began any discussion with, "The fact of the matter is..." And ended it with "be that as it may" or "at any rate"! And he loved to despair at the "innate cussedness of inanimate objects". He was prone to advise that "When all else fails, read the directions!" And then he would laugh.

But the quote he chose to be remembered by is "The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well" (Ralph Waldo Emerson). He always said he had lived well.

Warren Hylton Dale is preceded in death by his parents, and his only brother, Robert (Bob) Frederick Dale, of Milwaukee, WI. He is also preceded by his first wife, Sarah Erlene Daughdrill Dale, originally of Silvercreek, MS; and his second wife Darleen Renick Massey Dale, originally of Ripley, MS.

He is survived by a daughter, Cynthia (Cindy) Dale Gibson (husband, Ken) of Jonesboro, AR; and a son, Terry Lance Dale of Hattiesburg. Also by daughters, Aaryanne Massey Preusch (husband, Rick) of Hattiesburg; Elizabeth Massey Shattles of Hattiesburg; and Katherine Massey Woodard (husband, Kirk) of Murphreesboro, TN. And a son, Clayton P Massey of Hattiesburg.

Also surviving are 7 grandchildren. Lauren C Gibson and Lee K Gibson of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Of Hattiesburg, Wesley Preusch, Megan Preusch, Evan Preusch, and Alexis McCarthy. And Ava Katherine Woodard of Murphreesboro, TN. And a great grandson, Colton Ryder Preusch, of Buffalo NY.

He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Lois Dale of Mt. Horab, Wisconsin; a niece, Roberta Dale Sonzogni (husband, Bill) and their children and grandchildren Also a nephew, Larry H Dale (wife, Marilyn) of Golden, Colorado, and their children and grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the management and staff of Brookdale Assisted Living for their loving care of Warren for these several years. And thanks also to the owners and staff of Visiting Angels for their watch care of Warren, who joyfully referred to them as his "Angels".

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, October 8, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at The University Baptist Church on 3200 West Arlington Loop in Hattiesburg, with a visitation with family members beginning at 9:30 a.m. Interment in the columbarium will follow. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Warren Dale Scholarship sponsored by The Hattiesburg Housing Authority, PO Box 832, Hattiesburg Ms 39402. Or The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, 118 College Drive Box 5055, Hattiesburg MS 39406, in memory of Warren Dale.