Dale Edward Dreyer Sr.

Spokane, WA- Dale Edward Dreyer Sr passed away on August 6 2022, at Schneidmiller Hospice House in Coeur d'Alene ID, with his daughter Kathy by his side. Dad was born April 22, 1943 in Great Falls MT to Harold and Alice Dreyer. He was brought home to the family Ranch in Power MT and that is where he was raised. Dad’s mother tragically passed away when he was a young boy, leaving him, his little brother Jerry, baby sister Karen and their father to navigate life. With love and support from family members, the children were taken care of and Harold went on to remarry Tatiana in 1950. The family grew and dad became a brother to a total of 4 brothers and 5 sisters. In May of 1963 Dad married Laurita Carrier in Choteau MT and together they welcomed a son, Dale Jr. and a daughter, Katherine. Although their marriage later ended, they remained friends and worked to co-parent Dale Jr and Kathy. In 1971 Dad met and married Sharon Sipes. To that marriage, Sharon brought her son, Bob and daughter Rose, both of whom Dad raised and loved as his own. In 1974, much to everyone’s surprise, they added to the family when Teri Lynn was born. After Sharon's death in 2004 Dad went on to marry Susan White in December of 2004. With that marriage Dad gained 3 more sons, Rusty, Rocky and Jack; their wives and several more grandchildren whom he loved with all his heart. Dad worked for many years at Smurfit-Stone Container in Frenchtown, retiring in 2006. He was a proud union member of UPI Local 885. He spent several years before that working at Mill Supply in Missoula. After his retirement, Dad and Susan sold their place in Clinton MT and moved to Spokane. Dad and Susan loved to travel and made several trips all over the country together. Anything from weddings to graduations or just an adventure in seeing some place new, they were always on the go. They spent several winters in Casa Grande AZ, until Dad’s health wouldn't allow him to make the long trek to Arizona and back to Washington. They loved going out to dinner, spending time with friends at their home or at the clubhouse and going up to Rusty and Jen's cabin to get away from the city life. Dad was loved by all who met him. His booming laugh, twinkling eyes, and genuine good heart drew people to him. He never turned down a cold beer, good conversation, and a game of pool. Dad was most comfortable and happy when he was casting a fishing line, hunting to fill the freezer, hiking in the mountains or just driving down a dirt road singing along to Tom T. Hall or Conway Twitty. One of his great accomplishments was building the family cabin up Rock Creek. Hand built, with no running water or electricity to aid in building of it. Hard work, help from great family and friends, and countless hours were spent to bring his dream alive, and oh man what a beauty it was!! Dad was never one for just sitting around. He spent several years as a member of the Trap and Skeet club in Missoula, shooting on a league and in competitions. Dad was a great shot and really enjoyed being a part of the club. He even loaded his own shotgun shells at home! Later on, he discovered his love for restoring and showing off antique flywheel engines. Many weekends were spent with his good friend Jim, roaming around Montana and other states nearby, looking for that perfect engine to get home and restore. Dad belonged to the Western Montana Antique Power Association and enjoyed many events, traveling all over the state, to set up and show off his latest and greatest engine he had restored. Every 4th of July you could find him at Fort Missoula, set up, and running his engines. After moving to Spokane, dad found great joy in going down to the clubhouse to shoot pool with the guys. Often times, when calling dad, he was either on his way to shoot pool or he was already there. He gained a wonderful circle of friends in the park where they lived. The pool games are sure to be a bit quieter now that Dad is gone. Dad spent many summers hiking throughout Glacier Park with family and friends. He took several trips to Alaska to go fishing. But, one of his favorite trips ever was when he finally made it to The Yukon. Going and setting up hunting camp with his friends and children and grandchildren was always a highlight for Dad. Either in Montana or in Idaho, it didn’t matter. Setting up hunting camp was a deep tradition that wasn’t taken lightly. As he got older, his children and grandchildren took over setting up camp and he would just enjoy being out in the mountains. If the elusive elk walked in front of him, well, that was just a bonus for him. Dad was a true mountain man and he passed that love and respect of nature onto all of his children in one way or another. Dad loved his family and friends. He loved his wife deeply, and he loved his children and grandchildren endlessly. He loved to tease and play tricks on the grandchildren. From putting a Red Nose on the elk hanging in his house and telling them he accidentally shot Rudolph, to telling them that the doctor dropped his watch inside Grandpa’s chest during his heart surgery and that is why his heart "ticked" now. He had a way of convincing his children and grandchildren that even the worst chores would be fun; painting his house isn’t actually as fun as he made it sound! His eyes always lit up when talking to his grandchildren. No matter how old they got, he always loved to talk to them and just hear about their day. He was so proud of each and every one of them. All of his children feel so honored to have had him as their "Daddio". He was slow to anger, unless you were sneaking out of the house, or lit a firecracker on a school bus or tore the door off the car. He was quick to forgive. He expected that the kids do their best and that they worked hard and didn't do a job half-way. He was always there to hand out a piece of advice if you needed it or a shoulder to cry on. He will be missed forever. Dad is survived by his wife, Susan of Spokane; his children: Dale Jr of Naples ID, Kathy (Mark) Brodie of Stevensville MT, Teri (Shawn) Loescher of Chesapeake VA, Rose (Marc) Jackson of Eugene OR, Bob (Shaun) Sipes of Tacoma WA, Rusty (Jennifer) Dailey of Twin Lakes Village ID, Rocky (Michelle) Dailey of Spokane WA, and Jack (Kelly) Armstrong of Spokane. 16 Grandchildren and 6 Great Grandchildren. A celebration of life will take place next year, when we raise a toast to a man who has been described as a legend. A notice will be sent out when the date and location are confirmed. A very special thank you to the doctors and nurses who took such wonderful care of Dad and showed such compassion for the entire family.