Dale Laverne Wise

1931 - 2024

Dale Laverne Wise of Wakarusa, Indiana, went to rest with the Lord on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at 2:54 a.m. at Memorial Hospital. He was 92 years old.

Dale was born on Nov. 3, 1931, in Goshen, Indiana, to Harvey and Savilla (Wenger) Wise.

Dale is survived by his son Dalton (Melodie) Wise of Goshen, Indiana, daughters Regina (Robert) Huff of Bremen, Indiana, and Lori (William) Firstenberger of Elkhart, Indiana; his five grandchildren Todd (Jennifer) Huff, Chad (Meghan) Huff, Angelica (Zachariah) Cook, Troy (Michelle) Huff, and Eric Firstenberger, and six great-grandchildren, Zoe Cook, Myla Huff, Henry Huff, Arrow Cook, Lacy Huff, and Julia Huff. He is also survived by his niece, Sharon Yoder.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings, Kermit Wise, Mary Louise Frye and Carlyle S. Wise. His wife Treva also preceded him in death on Dec. 30, 2012, after 61 loving years of marriage.

Dale began working at the age of 12 after his father unexpectedly passed away in 1943. At the age of 16, he worked for New York Central Railroad between school semesters. Dale graduated from Wakarusa High School in 1949, and soon after began working as a tester for the DHIA (Dairy Herd Improvement Association). He took his first factory job in 1950 at Comfort Sleep in Wakarusa, Indiana.

On Aug. 10, 1951, he married his high school sweetheart Treva (Reynolds) Wise in Goshen, Indiana. In 1952 he left Comfort Sleep with some fellow employees to work for Fred V. Gentch Inc. and start a factory in Elkhart. Dale and Treva moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, after he was drafted as a civilian by I.W. Service (an alternative military service) on Feb. 24, 1953, during the Korean War. He served at Larue Depew Carter Hospital at Indiana University School of Medicine in the PTSD ward for World War II veterans.

They lived in a trailer across from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for two years, before their return to Wakarusa in 1955, where Dale went back to work for Fred V. Gentch. During this time, they built a house in the country west of Goshen on C.R. 36, which is still in the family.

In 1957 Dale and several other employees left to start a new RV business called Kinder Manufacturing Company, which they started in a small garage in Elkhart. The company sent Dale to Notre Dame University to take classes on management and supervision. He became a manager and began working on research and development as a trouble shooter and furniture designer. Along the way he helped start eight new branch plants and flew from California to Pennsylvania to help set them up. In 1971 he left and started Mastercraft Inc. in Shipshewana. He managed one of the plants for a while, but in 1978 he became the head of R&D for Mastercraft. In his time in the RV business he traveled to Los Angeles, Pennsylvania and San Francisco multiple times for work.

In 1994 Dale retired from Mastercraft, but was soon asked to start an RV seating company and began working part-time at REM, designing new furniture. He was presented a golden clock for 50 years in the RV industry. As a side job, Dale also reupholstered furniture for most of his life. Dale retired for good in 2018, after 65 years in the RV industry and 87 years of hard work.

When he was not working, he could be found on the golf course. Golf was one of Dale's favorite pastimes, and he loved to share that with his grandsons. Dale volunteered at Warren Golf Course during events and ushered at Notre Dame football games. Dale was an avid fan of Notre Dame, Purdue, and NorthWood High School sports. If the day was sunny Dale would be found, outside tending to his copious and spectacular flower beds, picking up the endless amount of sticks in the yard, in their beautiful garden, or by chance, laying on his lounge chair asleep in the baking sun.

Dale and Treva were very active members at Bethel Missionary Church of Goshen, Indiana. Dale served as a deacon, taught Sunday school classes, and was a large part of the church's prayer chain.

Family was an important element in Dale's life. On any given day you could find their house with one or more of their grandchildren, making forts over the clothesline out back, climbing the tree in the backyard, playing news station, or inside engaging in raging battles of Risk or Mastermind.

Dale and Treva loved to travel. One of the biggest trips was overseas on a 16-day journey through Europe. They visited Italy, Rome, France, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Spain, Barcelona, the Netherlands and Mallorca. Another bigger one was a train trip, although Dale was not super-fond of trains, starting in Elkhart. They traveled through Chicago, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montreal, where they went to the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park, Seattle, San Francisco, through the Rocky Mountains, then Chicago and back into Elkhart. Dale has said that flying is his favorite way to travel, and his favorite place that he has traveled to was the Oregon Coast. They were also known to vacation in Crandon, Wisconsin, with their family, where much time was spent fishing, swimming in Lake Metonga, and basking in the sun.

Visitation will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 6, at Rieth Rohrer Ehret Lienhart Funeral Home, 117 W. Waterford St., Wakarusa, Indiana. Funeral services will be held at Bethel Missionary Church, 63473 C.R. 7, Goshen, Indiana, on Monday Oct. 7, at 11 a.m. with visitation one hour prior to service. Burial will follow the service at Yellow Creek Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be sent to Bethel Missionary Church, 63473 C.R. 7, Goshen, IN 46526, or Faith Mission, P.O. Box 162, Elkhart, IN 46515 or Bashor Children's Home, P.O. Box 843, Goshen, IN 46527.

Online condolences may be sent to www.rrefh.com.