John Thomas Dale

John Thomas Dale was born on June 22, 1943 in Beechgrove , a suburb of Indianapolis, Marion Co., Indiana, son of Gerald William Dale and Ruth Mildred Morris Dale. John was next to the youngest of 9 children, (two died in infancy). His two brothers were Marion Wayne Dale and Gerald (Gerry) William Peter Dale. His four sisters were Theresa May Dale Bennett, Mary Elaine Dale Keller, Naomi Ruth Dale Collis, and Heather Lorraine Dale Jackman. Of these he is survived only by his brother Gerry. When John was about 11 years old his family moved to Los Angeles, CA where he met his future wife, Gena Lynn Boyle. He enlisted in the Army on his 17th birthday and after his discharge he returned to LA and they began dating. They were married March 7, 1964 and had two daughters, Mary-An Dale Tedder, and Penny Lynn Dale Harvey Maxfield; eleven grandchildren (Keith, Joseph, Erik and Sean Tedder; Dustin, Benjamin, Wesley, and Jenessa Harvey; Ambrea, Rylan and Samuel Maxfield); and five great grandchildren, all of who survived him, as well as his wife Gena. He dearly loved his family. He worked in many fields, but his most fulfilling was 18 years as meetinghouse custodian for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints, of which he was a faithful member. He loved helping others. After he retired he enjoyed painting in oil and acrylics. John died at Hospice House in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho n February 22, 2016 at age 72. He was a caring and gentle man, much beloved by his family and friends. A Memorial Service will be held on March 12, 2016, 11:00 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 1670 N. McGuire Rd. Post Falls. LIFE STORY John was born June 22, 1943, in Beechgrove, a suburb of Indianapolis, Marion Co., Indiana. His father, Gerald William Dale, was born in Odiham, England, and came to the US at age 16 with his mother and siblings after his father had been killed in WWI. John's mother, Ruth Mildred Morris, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. They met and were married there. John was the next to the youngest of their 9 children, two of whom died in infancy, before he was born. He had two brothers, Marion Dale (a half brother from his mother's first marriage, later adopted by John's father), and Gerald (Gerry) William Peter Dale, his four sisters were Theresa May (Dale) Bennett, Mary Elaine (Dale) Keller, Naomi Ruth (Dale) Collis, and Heather Lorraine (Dale) Jackman. Of these he is survived only by his brother Gerry. When John was in 2nd or 3rd grade, he was having problems hearing the teacher, eventually he had his tonsils and adenoids out, which helped him to hear, but he was behind in school. His mother asked a retired school teacher in the ward if she could help him, and she taught him phonics so he could read and helped him catch up. His father worked as a mailman both in Indiana and later in Los Angeles, where they moved when John was about 11 years old. There he met his future wife Gena Lynn Boyle. They knew eath other as preteens and teens, and were friends but hadn't dated. On his 17th birthday his mother signed for him to join the Army and off he went, like his brother Gerry who had joined the Navy at 17. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. Being so young it was a difficult experience for him, and he was later discharged with an Honorable General Discharge. After he was back home, he and Gena got together again and began dating. He was working three part-time jobs, trying to save for a mission, plus driving out to see her. He received his mission call to the Southwest Indian Mission, Northern Division. Before he left he asked Gena if she would wait for him, and they went together to pick out her engagement ring. He served in North and Sough Dakota and Montana, mostly with the Sioux Indians. When John returned from his mission, Gena was still waiting, and they were married on March 7, 1964. A little over a year later their first daughter, Mary-An was born and then on October 19, 1967 his second daughter, Penny Lynn, was born. John worked several short term jobs during the early years of his marriage, at Oldsmobile agency picking up and returning cars for the repair shop; doing lube and oil changes and brake jobs in a garage, in a tire retreading factory, and making precision fasteners for the aeronautics industry. Then he got a better paying job working for a Boise Cascade cardboard box factory. When Penny started having severe breathing problems, wheezing and running high fevers. A milk allergy was diagnosed but the MD also felt she would do better in a better climate, so they decided to check out Mesa, Arizona, which was known for helping people with allergies. They went there, and John got a job working in a sewing factory as a sewing machine mechanic. They moved there in January 1970 and bought their first house. It was a new adventure, living away from any family, and starting a new life. They were able to get irrigation for their yard and put in a large garden, as well as raising chickens, and briefly rabbits and turkeys. After a few years, the sewing factory lost a big contract with Sears, and John was laid off. He was out of regular work for over a year, but had some temporary jobs, such as roofing and cement work. John decided to go back to school on the GI bill, and the “work-study” program as a custodian for the college. He took a nursing course, but, then they couldn't guarantee that he would be able to be in the fall class. Without that he would be off the GI bill, so he was very glad to be offered a full time job working for the Mesa Community College. He took the job and worked there for seven years. One very nice benefit was the he had two weeks off every summer, with pay, and also a little over a week at Christmas time. Gena felt that she needed to get some more education, and John suggested she try to get into the nursing program. She started in the fall of 1974, graduating in May of 1976. It was a very challenging time for the whole family, but they made it through. In October 1976 John's right kidney was found to be riddled with cancer. After many prayers and blessings, the kidney was removed, but the cancer was found to be encapsulated, so he did no need to home chemo or radiation. Since the custodian job was working from 4:00 P.M. To 12:30 A.M. It worked out well when the girls were little, but after they were in school he didn't' see them as much as he wanted. He requested to be put on day shift on the grounds crew, and also started a lawn service of his own part time, then later did it full time. When he became ill, he was found to be allergic to grass and trees, so he had to give it up. They decided to move closer to family , and John was hired as a meetinghouse custodian in Elk Grove, California, which was reasonably close to his brother Gerry's home. He worked there for 18 years. During this time the girls were growing up; and graduating from high school. Mary-An married Cory, and soon they had their first grandchild, Keith. Penny enrolled at Ricks College in Idaho, where she met Dan and they were married after her first year at college. Soon more grandchildren came along. Mary-An also had Joseph, Erik and Sean, and Penny had Dustin, Benjamin, Wesley, and Janessa. Along with the older Custodians working in the area, John's work offered an early retirement, and he opted to take it. He decided to go to massage school, and became a massage therapist. He worked doing that in California until 2001 when they decided to move to Livingston, Montana, to be closer to Penny. He started his own massage business there. Then in late 2002 he was admitted to ICU with pneumonia, CHF, a clot in his leg, and pulmonary embolism. He was also diagnosed with sleep apnea. He was on oxygen for a few months after he came home from the hospital, and had to give up his massage business. They decided to move to Coeur d' Alene, Idaho where the climate was milder and the elevation was lower. Gena sent out resumes and got a job in another convalescent hospital there and they moved in May of 2003 to a rental house in CDA. While there John started watching Bob Ross Painting shows, and decided to try oil painting. He enjoyed it until his allergies got him again. He tried acrylic paint and that proved the solution. He painted mostly landscapes and gave many to friends and family, and also painted flowers on glass vases. After Penny went thought a divorce, she came to stay with her parents while she went back to school, to study Social Work. Dustin had stayed with his Dad in Livingston, but the three younger children came with her. She completed school and remarried, to Doug Maxfield, and they now have Ambrea, Rylan, and Samuel. John truly loved his family and enjoyed doing things with and for them. John had been becoming weaker and more short of breath, with increasing edema. In August 2015 he was found to have Diastolic Heart Failure. New medication was tried, but he continued to get gradually worse. In February 2016 he was hospitalized and the MDs said the right side of his heart had also given out trying to compensate for the left side's problems. He was transferred to Hospice House where he died in his sleep on February 22. He was a loving, kind and gentle man, much missed by family and friends.