CLAIRE DALE

1937 - 2026

CLAIRE ANN

SLATTERY DALE

Sept. 21, 1937 – Feb. 3, 2026

Claire Ann Dale, 88, of Imperial and Kingston, Okla., met her Savior face to face on February 3, 2026, in Brawley. She and her husband, Jim Dale, had just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on January 7.

A celebration of life will be at 10 a.m. February 16, 2026, in Imperial Community Church, 300 W. Barioni Blvd., Imperial. Pastor Jonathan Dale of Meade, Kan., will officiate.

Born Claire Ann Slattery on September 21, 1937, in Imperial, Claire grew up in Imperial, graduating from Imperial High School in 1955.

As a child, her mother was the cook at Pine Valley Bible Camp. Claire and her youngest brother Dennis enjoyed escaping the heat every summer with the camp as their playground. Her mother also was a cook for Imperial schools.

Claire had known Jimmy Dale since childhood and began dating him while she was in high school. He proposed to her in mid-October 1955. They married on January 7, 1956.

Claire began working in the Imperial High School office shortly after their marriage and, after their first two children were born, took on a typing job from home. She later went back to work in the Imperial High office, where many students found her to be a kind, compassionate, and helpful friend.

She went to work for the County of Imperial, spending about 30 years working first in the Public Works/Roads Department and the County Executive Office, then the last several years as office manager for the Imperial County-University of California Cooperative Extension Service.

She retired in 1997 and began working for her husband at Jim Dale Distributing in El Centro.

In 1998 the couple bought a house overlooking Lake Texoma in Kingston, Okla. They turned over the business to son and daughter-in-law, Geoff and Linsey, and moved to their new home. They often returned to their home in Imperial.

Claire had an artistic eye and loved to learn. She was an exceptional seamstress and became a skilled cake-maker. She made wedding cakes for friends and family, including for several grandchildren.

She played piano for her church and enjoyed classical music, sharing her love for it with her children.

She and her sister Norma made exquisite copies of Faberge eggs from duck and ostrich eggs. She learned to paint various mediums while living in Oklahoma, sharing works of art with her children.

She thoroughly enjoyed taking care of some of her Imperial Valley grandchildren during summertime in Oklahoma, planning many road trips.

When the Dale family became racing promoters at Imperial Raceway in 1987, Claire immersed herself in helping, especially through T-shirt concessions. She enjoyed getting to know drivers and others in the racing world, participating in promoters workshops, and attending races such as the renowned Chili Bowl in Tulsa.

Claire was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Clessie Slattery; sisters and brothers, Norma Hickox, Patricia Duggins, Gloria Cooney, James Slattery, and Dennis Slattery; and grandson James Ryan Dale in 1980; and by son-in-law, Steve Wilkinson.

She is survived by her husband, Jim; her children, Kilah Wilkinson of Middleton, Idaho; Mickey Dale (Peggy) and Geoffrey Dale (Linsey) all of Imperial; grandchildren, Samantha Wavra (Broc) of Brawley; Jonathan Dale (Nora) of Meade, Kan.; Tommy Dale (Rachel) of Rogue River, Ore.; Megan Ferronato (Matt) of Meridian, Idaho; Alyson Dale of Durant, Okla.; Austin Dale (Jocelyn) of Imperial; Ryan Dale (Hailey) of Denver, Colo.; Nick Wilkinson (Kara) of Los Osos; Pat Wilkinson (Kristen) of Los Osos; and Sean Wilkinson (Naomi) of Cayucos; 19 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.