William Dale "Dale" Brentnall

William Dale Brentnall, known by all as Dale, Dad, Grandpa or Great Papa, passed away on November 5, 2025 at the age of 106.
Dale was born on a farm in Prescott, Iowa on September 7, 1919. Growing up on the farm with his parents and brother Dallas, Dale learned the values of hard work, education and service. Dale graduated high school in 1937. He attended the Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) where he continued preparing for a career in education. With his high school diploma and a year of basic training, Dale was able to begin his teaching career in rural Iowa.
His first assignment was in Adams County where he taught all subjects and grades 1-8 from 1938-1940. Dale then attended the Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) where he continued preparing for a career in education.
While at the Iowa State Teachers college, he took a class in industrial engineering, which ended up being a crash course in advanced engineering and design. This experience served him well as he was drafted to serve the United States in WWII in 1941. He left Iowa and was stationed in Burbank, Calif. with Lockheed Martin where he worked on the final assembly of Navy torpedo bomber airplanes and B-17s, as well as a turret and machine gun specialist on Flying Fortress bombers. During his service, Dale designed a precision tool that was used for riveted sheet-metal overlap and checking for flushness.
During this time, Dale was courting Gwendolyn Smith of Corning, Iowa. They married on February 17, 1944 in Glendale, Calif. Tragically, four months later, Dale and Gwen were in a car accident and Gwen died from her injuries on June 13, 1944. She was just 25 years old. Shortly before Gwen's death, Dale entered into the U.S. Navy where he served as an aerial gun instructor until 1946.
When the war ended, Dale returned home to Iowa and was offered a number of teaching jobs near his family farm. He took one in Dallas Center supervising teachers. However, to teach or supervise other teachers, he needed to complete his own degree. He ended up resigning and returning to college to complete his teaching courses.
At Iowa State Teachers College, Dale met Irene LaVerne Downing who was also a student. Dale and Irene eventually married on June 3, 1951. In 1953, having both completed their education, they moved to Ames where they had three children: LuAnn, Dean and Barbara. Over the next three decades, Dale became a pillar of Ames education and community - teaching and leading at Whittier, Crawford, Bethesda and Fellows Elementary Schools.
As both a teacher and principal, Dale was known for compassion and rigor; educating the whole child and encouraging curiosity. He was extremely revered for and passionate about natural resource conversation and outdoor recreation and made this part of the Ames education experience. For 16 years, he led all Ames sixth graders in a two-day, overnight camp to learn outdoor skills and environmental knowledge.
In 1971, Dale secured federal funding to develop and implement Project ECO (Environmental Curriculum Opportunity) which started as an effort to plant native habitats around his school building. He and his students planted almost 3,000 trees and plants for a living laboratory right outside the school door. As ECO evolved, Dale influenced the Ames school district to fund environmental education for all elementary school students.
Of course, Dale brought these learnings into his home life as well. Dean recalls hunting trips with his dad and his grandfather's dog Tim. Dean and LuAnn both recall their dad taking them on airplane and helicopter trips to check out an empty Saylorville dam. LuAnn enjoyed times with her dad out at different parks or outdoor activities; tramping through the woods and listening to him talk about the area and the wildlife. She remembers him teaching her how to drive in the rain, snow and fog on gravel roads, calmly telling her what to do in "if" situations. She still hears those gentle instructions when driving in bad weather today. Barb was active in Camp Fire Girls (now Camp Fire USA), an organization that focuses on teen leadership, service and outdoor education. She remembers her dad joining her for the dad-daughter movie night, where they watched "Yours, Mine and Ours."
Dale retired from education in May of 1983, but he was not done working. He continued to advocate for conserving our natural resources, served on numerous boards and was an active member in his community. He was the president of the local and state chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, and then went on to serve as vice president and twice-national president of the organization. He was involved with the Ames Kiwanis chapter for 57 years and was an active member of Collegiate Presbyterian Church with Irene. They particularly enjoyed organizing and running the church's annual rummage sale among other events.
Dale and Irene loved spending time with LuAnn, Dean, Barb and their families, often traveling for visits or to watch whatever sport or activity their grandkids were involved in. Dale also enjoyed going to morning coffee with his friends and a consistent morning exercise routine, which he attributed to his good health and longevity.
In Dale's later years, he stayed close to home, getting to coffee and church when he could and making shorter trips to visit family with Barb. He was able to continue living at home until recently, thanks to Barb's support - a gift to her dad and to our family. Dale often shared with Barb's daughter how grateful he was for her care.
At 106, Dale had a long and remarkable life. So many stories and experiences that would take pages to fill. His work and community service meant a great deal to him. Thank you to the teachers, students and colleagues who stayed in touch with him over the years.
Dale is preceded in death by many cherished loved ones and friends, including Irene, his wife of 61 years; parents William and Eulaila; brother Dallas; grandson Kevin; nephews Ron and Randy; and first wife Gwen. He is survived by his children, LuAnn (Garland), Dean and Barbara (Mahan); niece Susan; 7 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be held on Monday, November 17 from 4-6:00 p.m. at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, Ames. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday November 18, at 11:00 a.m. at Collegiate Presbyterian Church 159 Sheldon, Ames with a lunch to follow.
The family would like to thank Dales Doctors, Israel Family Hospice House, Mary Greeley Hospice, Green Hills Staff, and Meals on Wheels.
In lieu of flowers, we'd love for you to consider a donation to the Izaak Walton League of America and Story County Conservation.