Dale Etheridge

Dale Etheridge was born on November 10, 1941 in Long Beach, California. He was the son of Earl and LaVera Etheridge. He was raised in San Pedro, California. Even as a young child he exhibited an intense curiosity about the world around him. That curiosity became the driving force that would shape who he was to become.

In grade school, it was clear that he loved learning and was a gifted student. He participated in boy scouts, baseball, fishing with his parents and all the usual things boys do. As an only child he was quiet, good-natured and determined. Both at school and at home, he was an explorer. He always wanted to figure out how things worked – even if he could not put them back together after he took them apart.

By the time he reached high school he was a real ‘geek’. He loved all things science and math and thrived on hands-on learning. He also had an interest in history and mythology and even took Latin. He cared about how things fit together in a historical context too. He was a member of the Physics Club, Chemistry Club, Computer Science Club and Latin Club. His favorite class was chemistry because the teacher let them do neat experiments like fire rockets down the hall and build volcanoes. During these years he also became enamored with the exploration of space. He followed the emerging space program avidly the way most kids follow sports teams. Dale graduated from Millikan High School in 1960. To the day he died he was a walking encyclopedia of information about the Space Program..

During college, Dale’s interest in science became focused on astronomy. He earned his B.S. in Astronomy from USC in 1964. He also figured out that his greatest satisfaction came from sharing his knowledge of the universe with others in a way they could understand. His greatest joy was in seeing people’s eyes light up when they understood how complex things really worked. This lead him to advanced degrees in Science Education. In college he also began working at Griffith Park Observatory and eventually served as Curator of Exhibits 1971-72. There he found his real professional home in the Planetarium. Dale earned his MA in Science Education from CSU-LA in 1966 and his Ed.D. in Science Education from UCLA in 1976.

During graduate school, Dale went to work for Litton Data Systems 1973-76. After graduation he briefly worked as Director & Astronomy Professor at Mount San Antonio Community College. During that tenure he was recruited by what was then Clark County Community College in Las Vegas to build their planetarium.

Dale served as Planetarium Director and Professor of Astronomy at what is now CSN from 1976 until he retired in 2014. He always thought he was so lucky to have his profession be something he loved so much. During those years his focus in the Planetarium was on public understanding of science. He did many inventive things like hosting travelling exhibits and inviting astronauts to speak. He also sponsored special projects like Marsville and Jason with the school district. He was a regular on local television when there was an eclipse or a space shot. Dale was active in both regional and international Astronomical Societies where he served as an officer and board member many times.

As an Astronomy Professor, Dale’s ability to communicate and his enthusiasm for his subject made him a stand-out. At the college he received a number of outstanding faculty and service awards. In 2011 he had the distinction of receiving the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award for the entire University & Community College System of Nevada. As a faculty member, Dale served on and chaired numerous committees over the years. He was chair of the faculty organization NSP in his early years. Dale’s patient nature and meticulous work habits made him a natural for mentoring many new faculty. He also was instrumental in introducing the use of computer technology into the classroom as a teaching tool. Dale built the first online astronomy classes at CSN almost 20 years ago and even after retiring he continued to teach online as an emeritus faculty member right up through Fall 2018 when he was very ill. But always, it was about the students first and foremost.

Dale met Carolyn Collins when he was on her hiring committee as a chemistry faculty member at the College in 1977. They had many common interests since they were both scientists and loved to hike and explore. But they also complemented one another well in terms of personality since he was a bit of an introvert while she is an extrovert. It was a perfect balance, a deep friendship and the love of a lifetime.

Dale’s greatest pride was in daughter Cheryl, step-daughter Vicki, granddaughter Miranda and grandson Jake. He cared more deeply than even they knew about every triumph and every pain. In his patient, quiet way he instilled in both daughters strong values by example. The whole family loved his wry and often corny sense of humor.

If you asked Dale’s friends and colleagues about him they would tell you he was a patient, calm, and knowledgeable guy – not a mean bone in his body. He treated everyone with respect and never lost his temper. Dale counted many of his colleagues in science and math as good friends, not just fellow employees. In the early years there were many Science Department events outside of work. In later years many hours were spent traveling, exploring wine around the world and cruising with his wife Carolyn.

Dale’s big family project was planning and building a cabin on a 9000-foot cliff edge on the Markagunt Plateau. Dale and Carolyn fell in love with the wide open vistas of pink cliffs, Zion, Bryce and Strawberry Point in 1984 and they built The Cabin to see it all. Dale’s happiest hours truly were spent there. Family and friends often visited and those times were the most memorable of all for him.

Dale’s hobbies were photography, car rallies, computers, reading, hiking, politics and traveling. In the last 10 years he was able to find the time to finally travel to many of the places he wanted to go and do many of the things that he loved to do. He was diagnosed with ALS in 2018 and passed away on April 19, 2019 at home, peacefully in his sleep. He had no regrets about the things left to do but only a deep appreciation for all of the wonderful things he had done. He will be deeply missed by family and friends.