Remembering an Old Friend

Yesterday, a dear old friend went to be home with the LORD. He was my dad’s best friend. He and my dad had the most interesting relationship. They were like an old married couple. When Dale was cold, dad was hot. When Dale was hot, dad was cold. I can remember them fighting over the windows in the car. One wanted them up and the other wanted them down. People often joked with them about how long they had been married.

Dale was an old family friend. As my brother said “he knew us before we were born.” One of my first memories of Dale is when he sold us the old bus converted into a RV. Our family spent many summer days in that old bus. When I think back I remember Dale was often in our lives when we were children. Later, we would work together at Rescom. The days he came into the office just made my day. I would leave the upper floor office and come down to the coffee room and listen to him and Don share hilarious stories.

After Rescom closed, Dale moved away to Florida. We visited him a few times while we were in Florida. He then moved to Missouri. It was here were my fondest memories of Dale were formed. I never realized that Dale had so much “farmer” in him. I say “farmer” when I really should say Dale “Doolittle”. He talked to them all! From chickens, goats, horses and dogs, Dale formed a “love” for each. The days when he wasn’t so much a farmer, were those days when he would put the goats being sold into the truck. On one such day, he had the goats in the back of the truck and they were meehing loudly. Dale looked at the back of the truck and said, “You can’t say I didn’t give you a good life.” He then looked at me and said “I hate this part.”

Dale, you will be missed. Thank you for the times you let me crash at your house on my way home. Thank you for being a really good friend to my dad. We all love you Dale LeClare. We will see you soon!