Dale Friend

1941 - 2021

Malcolm Dale Friend
1941-2021
Dale Friend peacefully checked out of Hotel Earth in the late afternoon on Monday, September 27th at the age of 80. Dale was born to Joe and Bertie Friend in Dallas, TX on August 9, 1941, where he excelled in debate and graduated as salutatorian of Hillcrest High School. He attended college at Rice University, followed by a law degree at the University of Texas, also moonlighting running the local poker games. Dale entered private practice in Houston initially as a defense trial attorney and then as a plaintiffs' attorney at Abraham & Watkins, where he became a name partner. Upon his retirement in 2002, he moved to Lake Tahoe, where he and his wife Stacey lived most of his retirement years. Dale spent his final months in Palm Desert, CA.

Dale was a larger than life character with a steady demeanor, dry wit and sly grin. He enjoyed collecting rare coins, traveling, reading suspense novels, playing poker, and spending time with his wife, two sons, and their children. Dale loved the outdoors, snow skiing until it became a two-person job to remove his ski boots, at which point his passion became breaking 90 on the golf course as many times as he could. He also loved to dote on Stacey and prepare her favorite foods. He was a proficient chef with a wide repertoire of recipes, never cutting corners to sacrifice flavor. He was less fond of social norms, mean people and waiting more than 15 minutes for a table at a restaurant.

Dale is survived by his wife Stacey, his two sons (and their wives) Adam (Jennie) and Andy (Martha), and four grandchildren, Jamie (8), Jack (6), Lucas (6) and Leo (2). There will be a celebration of life in early 2022 where his ashes will be distributed from a mountaintop in Lake Tahoe. He touched many lives and will be missed by us all.