Dale Granville Wallace was born September 28, 1946 in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, England. Our mother loved to tell the story of the day he was born and she shared it often. WW2 was still going on and our Dad was a quartermaster in the British Army. Mom delivered Dale with a midwife and there were no medicines available. Dad could not be with her and all the doctors in the area were busy treating the wounded soldiers. He weighed over 9 pounds and the doctor did not make it to her house until the next day to sew her up with piano wire. She sure held that over his head whenever it was the most useful.
He was the second of four children born to Walter and Olive Wallace and his older sister Sandra was almost 4. When Dale was two years old our parents were introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by two missionaries. They were baptized after taking lessons for a period of time. One of the missionaries that baptized them was from Mesa AZ and he helped arrange sponsor families for them. In 1951, with a great leap of faith, our father sold almost everything they owned and loaded up his family for the journey. I know that our mother was not a happy participant in this adventure but she made the sacrifice, believing that she would never see her siblings again. Both grandmothers had passed years prior and both grandfathers died that year. It took several days by boat to reach NY and the family was seasick in their meager cabin for most of the trip. They were able to come up on deck in time to see the Statue of Liberty and their new land. While clearing customs, my Dad was told that his chest x-rays had faded and they would not be able to enter into America. Dad was so fearful and ill from the trip but it was the sight of Sandra and Dale crying, clinging to his legs, that softened the clerk’s heart and they allowed him to proceed.
At this point they faced a grueling trip by bus to Arizona. It was August and there was no type of air conditioning on the bus. It was a five day drive with no place to sleep or change clothes. While stopping in Chicago, the family was introduced to a new snack called popcorn. Dale was almost 5 and he loved this new treat. Unfortunately the heat and motion took a toll on him and he threw it up all over the floor in front of them. Dad said this mess then spread under all the seats and there was no way to clean it up. Of course it was very warm and the stench became unbearable. Each time a new driver would come on the bus he would use big billows to try and fumigate but it did not do much good. They were very happy to finally get to Mesa, even though it was very hot and raining! They were delighted to have their own little home in downtown Mesa even though the bathroom was outdoors!
Dale and Sandra were sealed to our parents in the Arizona temple later that year. I (Linda) was born 2 years later and our parents became American citizens on November 18, 1957. Children automatically became citizens with their parents and from that moment on we were Americans through and through. Our Mother had a harder time with it and we were still raised in a very British home. Steve arrived the next year and our family was complete. We did not have any relatives in America and all of our family celebrations were very small. We did not celebrate Thanksgiving until the kids married and our parents joined us for the holiday. We are all several years apart and I think that is why there ended up being 31 grandchildren born from the original 4 children.
Dale had a simple and happy life as a youth. He remembered being responsible for doing the dishes and all outside work including weeding, trimming, and mowing the lawn. His least favorite chores were weeding and washing dishes on Sundays with our dad! In a small journal Dale recorded that as a youth he liked to attend dances with his friends every Saturday night. In high school, he was on the cross country and track teams and his main event was running the mile. Other hobbies he had as a youth included playing the French horn and going on weekend outings and scout campouts. He was a major tease and he could tickle me until I cried. He loved to tease our Mother and he could get her squealing in an instant. He love to call her “H” which he picked up from our Dad and he would throw a “bloody” in here and there just to get her riled. He also would flip us with a wet dish towel and we always hated having to do dishes with him. I remember the welts fondly. He lost his 2 front teeth as a teenager and would flip his false teeth up and down whenever he was teasing us. We got him back by calling him Granville.
He recalled receiving good advice from both of his parents while growing up. The best advice his mother gave him was to “do your best and be happy.” His favorite piece of advice from his father was “Pay yourself first. Don't spend more money than you have. Always try your best.”
Some of his early jobs as a youth included a paper route where he received $12 a week, working at our father’s insurance office, and picking cotton on a farm. He would also help our Dad with irrigation and they would often go up and down the back ditch to help our neighbors. We always had to wait for him to come home on Christmas morning from his newspaper route before we could get up to open presents. I still remember the sounds of him closing the back door and announcing he was home.
As a youth, Dale loved scouting. On the holidays, his troop used to hang to the outside of a flatbed trailer while it went down Main St in Mesa. The scouts would line Main Street with hundreds of American flags. He earned his Eagle Scout at the age of 14 and was proud to be the first boy in his ward to ever receive it. He recalled a fun Memorial Day tradition of riding paddle boats at Encanto Park while listening to the Indianapolis 500 on the radio. We also spent a couple of weeks every summer in San Diego. He loved the beach and surfing and we fished together from the pier. In 1964 he graduated from Mesa High in the Jack Rabbit Stadium. He recalled that it was very hot but lots of fun for the 600+ graduates. He was really looking forward to his 50 year class reunion next year but we all know that he will be there in spirit. When June posted the news of his death on the class reunion website, she was contacted by a fellow class member who happens to be in Sacramento this weekend. We really appreciate that Pete Jensen is here today to represent his class.
At age 18, Dale became sick over Christmas but did not want to ruin the holidays for the family. Finally, later Christmas day, he told our parents of his pain. He was taken to the hospital where they discovered that his appendix had burst. Gangrene had spread throughout his body and they did not expect him to live. I remember standing outside his hospital window and watching him since I was not allowed to visit. He could not lift his head and could only wiggle his pinkie finger. He was pale and weak; however, he was given many Priesthood blessings and was told that he would survive to continue the progress. He needed to continue his mission on earth and you can see his accomplishments.
He was called to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the California North Mission in 1965. While serving his mission he met his future wife, June, who was serving as a part-time local missionary. I had the rare treat of visiting my brother while he was on his mission and I got to know the Altops. I told my parents when I got home that Dale had found his true love. He was a wonderful missionary and shared the gospel with many. He really enjoyed the time that he spent in the Haight/Asbury district in San Francisco. It was the 60’s and the hippie movement was going strong. He loved everyone that he met there and he was very accepting. A notable moment from his mission occurred when Dale presented a Book of Mormon to Governor Ronald Reagan in 1967.
Upon being released later that year, after two years of missionary service, Dale returned home to Mesa, AZ. A draft notice was waiting for him at home but he desired to pursue his college education. Our dad called the admissions office at BYU on a Monday morning to see if Dale could enroll for the semester. The late registration deadline was three days previous but admissions said if he could be on campus by 3pm that day they would make an exception and admit him. Dale was on the next flight to Utah. This really broke our hearts because he was only home a few days but we knew that we did not want him fighting in Viet Nam. Lucky for him, June was already in Provo also attending BYU. He called her the day he arrived and asked her to pick him up from the admissions office so they could spend time together. Six weeks later they were engaged to be married. When once asked what attracted him to June, Dale recorded: “she was cute, lots of fun, and had a nice family.”
Dale and June endured a long-distance engagement while he attended school at Arizona State University and she lived in Sacramento working full-time. They were married for time and all eternity in the Oakland, California LDS temple on June 8, 1968. They started their lives together in Mesa, Arizona where Dale continued his education at Arizona State University. They bought their first home, which was actually a 1-car garage converted to a one bed, one bath 500 sq. ft. house. While living quarters were tight, they were happy. Dale and June welcomed their first child, Bob, in the spring of 1969. Dale graduated in May of 1970 with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. He noted that he chose an education major because he wanted to help people. He landed a job with the San Juan Unified School District at Central Elementary School in Orangevale, California and began teaching 5th grade in September 1970. He and June bought a house upon moving to Rancho Cordova where they’ve resided their entire married life. They welcomed their second child, Heather, to the family in the fall of 1970, shortly after moving to California.
After two years of teaching, Dale decided he wasn’t as fond of the teaching career as he thought he would be and became a manager at Thrifty Drug in 1972. That year, he and June welcomed their third child, Lisa. She was followed by Jeff in 1974 and Alyson in 1976. One of Dale’s good co-worker friends recalled, “and they just kept coming!” For this reason, Dale decided he needed to expand their family home. Together with his father-in-law and brothers-in-law he added 800 square feet including a bedroom, bathroom, family room, and kitchen extension. Mike joined the family in 1979, followed by Julie in 1981. Dale & June were going for “8 is enough” but were surprised by twins, Erin & Courtney (numbers 8 AND 9), in September of 1982. Since they had passed the lucky number 8, June decided to go for a dozen. In 1985 another boy, Tom, joined the family and just two days before the Christmas of 1987, Dale & June welcomed their last bundle of joy, Holli, bringing their total count to 11 children, one shy of June’s goal of a dozen.
Dale retired from Thrifty/Rite-Aid on a Friday in June of 2004, after 32 years of employment. The following Monday he started as a manager at Petco where he worked for 8 years. After enjoying an 8 week retirement he returned to working at Petco part-time which he called his “hobby.”
Dale made many close friends of fellow managers and co-workers during his time in retail. Together they went on a boating excursion and a golf trip to Arizona. Decades later, these men still call Dale a good friend.
Dale was known to all as a hard worker and in a progress review after four years with Thrifty his regional manager noted the following: “Mr. Wallace is a very good performer, bright, and appears to be quite interested in his work. He has real potential and could go beyond Manager. Mr. Wallace is a unique assistant. He is different than any other assistant I have. I have no doubt that at this point Mr. Wallace can be an above-average manager. He is always aware of what is going on in his store and knows what to do. He gets the job done and does it well with what appears to be a minimum amount of effort. He is quite conscious of his responsibilities and gets embarrassed if you find something he overlooked.” While Dale’s official position was as a manager, no job was below him. He could be found scooping ice cream, filling in at registers, or wherever else he was needed, always with a smile on his face. My kids loved to go and see Dale at his store whenever we came for a visit and have often said that the ice cream cones that he made for them were the best ever! Dale’s children will always remember his example of diligence and hard work and that he never took one sick day in all his working years.
Dale served faithfully in numerous church callings throughout his life including Sunday School Presidency, YM President, Stake YM President, executive secretary, stake auditor, bishop, High Councilor and most recently High Priest Group Assistant. He put 100% effort into all of his callings and truly loved serving fellow members of the ward. While serving as Bishop in the Sun River Ward, Dale was very involved with the youth, who admired him greatly. At his passing, several posted messages of love and fond memories and ways in which he had touched their lives.
Not only did Dale selflessly serve members of his church but could often be found assisting his neighbors with various projects. He would always have a tool box in his car, even when he came to Arizona, just in case our parents needed something done around their house.
President Spencer W. Kimball taught “the more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls.” And we all know that Dale had lots of substance to his soul!
Dale could do just about anything from fixing cars to construction and he added several rooms onto their house. He was not afraid to get dirty and never complained about working.
Anyone who knows Dale knows that he loved life and was never without a smile on his face. As a boy, Dale liked to build toy models and his love for building carried into his later years. He enjoyed working on projects including adding onto his house, rebuilding a 1930 Ford Model A, and many other building projects. Dale loved to watch Saturday morning cartoons as a boy and could kill a whole package of cookies and milk in one sitting. Our Mother never got over the restrictions of food rationing and there was very rarely any extra food at the house. I know this was hard on him as a growing boy. Our Dad always made sure there was milk in the house and Dale loved to swig from the gallon, to our mother’s dismay.
Dale’s children will always remember his selflessness in willingly helping them with various projects in their own homes. He loved learning new things and enjoyed watching car and house shows to expand his building knowledge. In a short journal Dale recorded that his favorite pastime was working around the house.
Dale was a true sports lover, always staying updated on his favorite teams and then some. He celebrated team victories while watching games with his local sons or over the phone with his out-of-state sons. His love of sports has been passed down to his boys and they fondly remember him hitting them fly balls every day after work. They didn’t even let him step foot in the door before badgering him into a game of ball. Once they grew up, his sons and sons-in-law enjoyed playing golf with their Dad. For several years, Dale owned a motorcycle and his children fondly remember him taking them for rides around the neighborhood after work.
Dale’s family and friends will always remember him as a jokester, always making others laugh. While sorting through pictures after his passing, his children noted that more than half of the pictures of Dale were of him making a goofy face. My children remember playing a game with him when they were little whenever we gathered at our parent’s house. A person would leave the room and change something on themselves that would not be noticed. They would then come back in the room and everyone would try to guess what was changed. He would often take his false teeth out but then keep his mouth shut with just a snicker on his face. He would then smile, showing the gap, once the kids figured it out. He LOVED to be with the kids and had the most fun with them.
Dale and June currently have 28 grandchildren with another one on the way and they all love and adore him. His immense love for his grandchildren was evident in the way he read to them, played with them, and attended many of their important activities and milestones.
At Dale’s passing, he and his wife had been married for 45 happy years. Dale once jokingly recorded that the two things he tried to unsuccessfully change in his wife was to stop her from biting her nails and to turn her into a Republican. As we all know, June is the backbone of this family and always shows unconditional love for everyone. She has always made Dale a better man through her support and we honor her for her dedication.
Dale suffered a heart attack while working at Petco on Wednesday, November 6th and passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Saturday, November 9. While his passing came as a shock to family and friends, we are filled with peace knowing that he has returned home and been reunited with his mother and father. Dale will be remembered as a follower of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and an example of love and kindness. He will be sorely missed for his loving and jovial personality.
In Matthew 7 in the New Testament we read: Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father that is in Heaven.
Dale was obedient and always listened to the spirit in all of his actions.
I have no answers for the circumstances of the last week and it has been sad and heartbreaking. This is what I know: We were all together in the pre-mortal life and we chose to follow our brother, Jesus Christ. Everyone in this room was a very valiant spirit and we were saved to come to earth during this very important time on earth. We were given this opportunity by our Heavenly Father and He knows what is best for us. This life here is just a tiny blip in the plan of salvation and He knows that bigger picture. Although Dale was saved from death at age 18, his time has now come. I am so grateful that we know that we will be with him again forever. I am so blessed to have him as my eternal brother.
Given by Linda Sue Wallace Garrard at his funeral service on November 16, 2013
