News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Dale Lee Clark 12/04/1946 - 4/22/2015

Dale Lee Clark was born Dec. 4, 1946 in Nespelem, Wash., to Calvin Clark and Rose Adolph. He passed away Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2015. He lived most of his early years in Keller, Wash., on a ranch with Rose and Stanley Squetimkin. He also spent much of those early years with his Grandma and Grandpa Adolph (Joe and Agnes), in Disautel, at the old place. He loved being with his grandparents and uncles, especially Bull and Frank. This is where he started his love of stories, nature, hunting, and fishing. He and his cousin, Lionel Orr, would run all over the hills of Disautel and Keller looking for adventure. Dale loved coming back home with their "catch" and his grandma, mom or aunties would cook it up!

He graduated eighth grade at Keller and moved over to Omak to go to HS there through the 11th grade. He decided to go to Grand Coulee High School to graduate and did graduate with the class of 1965 from Grand Coulee. He was well liked and had friends everywhere. After high school, Dale went right into the Army. He served from 1965 to 1967 in Vietnam. He was a teletype operator. After returning from Vietnam, Dale went to work at the Biles Coleman Lumber Mill. He worked there for years doing a variety of jobs within the mill. He then decided to complete his college by getting his BA and Masters of Education in Guidance and Counseling from Heritage College in Omak, Wash. Over the years Dale also worked in Social Services for the Colville Tribe, Behavior Health, Children and Family Services, and finally at Fish and Wildlife, retiring in 2012. For one term, Dale was voted in as an Omak District Colville Tribal councilman. He had pride in all that he did.

He married Lorraine Manuel in 1967 and they had a son, Eric Clark, in 1969. Lorraine also had two other children from her first marriage and Dale was very close to them too over the years. He also helped raise some of his siblings and was an influence on many family members over the years.

Over the years, Dale Clark was an avid bowler, a fisherman (one of the Old Men of the River), a golfer, a hunter, and participated in rodeos riding bulls and bareback. He would tie his own flies and reload his own bullets. He and his cousin Lionel would make up hooks for fishing and plan out each season's adventures. There isn't one road on the reservation that Dale with Lionel or his other partners haven't gone on over the years. He loved his music (1970 and older), learning Native language, hearing and retelling old stories of fish caught or deer or elk shot and giving everyone a nick name!

He is survived by his wife Lorraine, his stepdaughter Ronda and her husband Dale Palmanteer, grandsons Devin and Derek, his stepson Dwayne and grandson William and granddaughter Rhylee. He is also survived by his granddaughter, Miranda, from his recently deceased son Eric Clark. He has many siblings, cousins and close friends that will be missing him. It was hard to see Dale go down so fast from a two-year battle with cancer but he is now at peace.

Rosary was held Sunday April 26 at 7 p.m. and funeral services on Monday, April 27, at 10 a.m. at the Omak Longhouse with Father Jake Morton S.J., officiating. His final resting place is St. Mary's Mission Cemetery.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 11/28/2024 09:31