Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Dale Jr. passed away Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born May 27, 1945, in Atlanta, Georgia.
His family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he graduated from Woodward High School in 1963 and from the University of Cincinnati in 1967. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and via AFROTC was commissioned as an Air Force second lieutenant upon graduation.
Mark married Carol his wife of 51 years at that time also. Realizing a childhood dream, Mark graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laredo AFB, Texas, and was assigned to the 28th Air Refueling Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. He became one of a few first lieutenants to be named as an aircrew commander on a KC-135 tanker. He flew many missions in South East Asia during the Vietnam Conflict. Following assignments were as a U.S. representative at the Berlin Air Safety Center, West Berlin, Germany. Returning stateside, Mark was assigned to the 7th Air Refueling Squadron Carswell AFB, Fort Worth Texas, where he served as the chief of Stand/Eval and chief of the SAC central flight instructor course. After serving a four-year assignment at the Pentagon as a program manager for the Air National Guard he finished up his Air Force career at Langley AFB as a senior controller, 2nd Air Delivery Group.
Mark and Carol are members of Northside Christian Church, Yorktown, and helped start the Celebrate Recovery Program, where they served as leaders for seven years. Mark also served as a deacon.
Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Mark and Elizabeth Dale.
Survivors include his wife, Carol; two children, Elizabeth Bauman (Tim) and Mark Dale III (Monica); grandchildren, Alexis Bauman, Mason Bauman, Isabella Widener, Cooper Dale and Emily Dale; great-grandson, Karsten Davis; sister, Donna (George); brother, Gregg; and Carol’s brother, Bob (Veronica), sister, Cindy (Robert), and their families.
Mark touched many lives as a friend of Bill W.
The family is thankful for the support and care provided by Riverside Hospice, especially nurses, Danelle and Heather; nurse’s aide, Shennel; faithful friends and caregivers, Lorraine Winnall and Jean Robinson.
A funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, March 24, at Northside Christian Church with visitation to following until 4:30 p.m. Burial will take place at 1 p.m., Monday, March 25, in Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery, Suffolk.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Riverside Hospice or Peninsula Rescue Mission, Newport News.
Share online condolences with the family at W.J. Smith & Son Funeral Home.
