Ralph G. Dale, 86, of Tomball, Texas, passed away peacefully Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at Triumph Hospital in Houston. His father Thomas Dale, mother Pearl Dudley Dale and brother Robert Dale preceded him in death.
He was born in Gulf, Texas on September 23, 1921, and raised in Barker, Texas where his father was Justice of the Peace and his mother a piano teacher. He attended school in nearby Alief, Texas. Ralph married Kathryn Colbert in 1943, in Tomball, Texas and had three children Randy, Deborah and Derryl.
He served as a Marine during WW II and was a member of the 5th Marine Division, 5th Tank Battalion with a military specialty in armored maintenance. He served in Hawaii and participated in the battle of Iwo Jima. He was on a ship headed for the invasion of Japan but it turned around and returned to the USA when the end of the war was announced. Ralph was honorably discharged in 1946.
Being
He was a dedicated, caring husband of 64 years, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather, companion and trusted friend to many. Ralph’s life defined commitment and strength to family, friends and all who knew him. He was always supportive and ready to listen. He will be remembered as a kind and caring soul that was a friend to all.
Ralph is survived by his loving wife, Kathryn Dale, sons Randy Dale, Derryl Dale & wife Mitzie and daughter Deborah & husband Ken Gray. Grandsons Randy (Chip) Dale Jr., Derrick Dale, Jonathan Dale and Jacob Dale, Granddaughters Monica & husband Johnny Lewis, Kara Poggenpohl, Denessa and husband Randall Haudek, and Justine Dale, Great-grandchildren Danessa Estupinan, Brittany Beisert, Kalin Poggenpohl, Warren Haudek and Breanna Lewis, many cousins, nieces, nephews, family members and friends. He will be missed by all.
Services will be Friday, Nov. 23, 2007, at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of the Houston National Cemetery with the Rev. John Travis Smith of the First Baptist Church of Hempstead officiating. Interment at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston Texas.
Houston National Cemetery
Ralph G. Dale, 86, of Tomball, Texas, passed away peacefully Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at Triumph Hospital in Houston. His father Thomas Dale, mother Pearl Dudley Dale and brother Robert Dale preceded him in death.
He was born in Gulf, Texas on September 23, 1921, and raised in Barker, Texas where his father was Justice of the Peace and his mother a piano teacher. He attended school in nearby Alief, Texas. Ralph married Kathryn Colbert in 1943, in Tomball, Texas and had three children Randy, Deborah and Derryl.
He served as a Marine during WW II and was a member of the 5th Marine Division, 5th Tank Battalion with a military specialty in armored maintenance. He served in Hawaii and participated in the battle of Iwo Jima. He was on a ship headed for the invasion of Japan but it turned around and returned to the USA when the end of the war was announced. Ralph was honorably discharged in 1946.
Being
a talented craftsman and service oriented, he worked as a carpenter, was a City of Houston fireman, owned and managed a lumberyard, designed and built boats of all types and was both a homebuilder and owner of a water well drilling service for the last 25 years of his life. He often drilled water wells free of charge to financially disadvantaged residents of the South Texas valley. He was active in community affairs that supported youth activities. He coached many teams in Little League, served on the Little League District Board of Directors, accompanied local teams to the World Series play-offs and founded the Youth Amateur Sports Association to provide financial support to sports teams in North Harris County. Some of his favorite hobbies included lapidary work, collecting fossils and Indian relics, cooking Bar B Q, and cactus gardening.
He was a dedicated, caring husband of 64 years, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather, companion and trusted friend to many. Ralph’s life defined commitment and strength to family, friends and all who knew him. He was always supportive and ready to listen. He will be remembered as a kind and caring soul that was a friend to all.
Ralph is survived by his loving wife, Kathryn Dale, sons Randy Dale, Derryl Dale & wife Mitzie and daughter Deborah & husband Ken Gray. Grandsons Randy (Chip) Dale Jr., Derrick Dale, Jonathan Dale and Jacob Dale, Granddaughters Monica & husband Johnny Lewis, Kara Poggenpohl, Denessa and husband Randall Haudek, and Justine Dale, Great-grandchildren Danessa Estupinan, Brittany Beisert, Kalin Poggenpohl, Warren Haudek and Breanna Lewis, many cousins, nieces, nephews, family members and friends. He will be missed by all.
Services will be Friday, Nov. 23, 2007, at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of the Houston National Cemetery with the Rev. John Travis Smith of the First Baptist Church of Hempstead officiating. Interment at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston Texas.
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