Dale was the son of Carl and Hazel West, and he had two older sisters, Barbara and Eleanor, and one younger sister, Karen. At a young age the West family moved to the Northwest where they farmed in Washington before moving to Portland where Dale attended high school.
Dale was always hard working and looking for new ways to earn extra money. He talked about converting a car to haul scrap iron while he was in high school. He also delivered newspapers and recovered lost golf balls from a pond to sell while he was in Portland. Near the end of high school Dale moved to Goldendale to live with Eleanor and her husband.
He joined the Army in 1959 and spent his enlisted career as an equipment mechanic serving in South Korea and Greenland. After being discharged from the Army in 1962, he moved back to Goldendale and began his career in the logging industry, honing his skills working on large equipment and trucks. It was there that he met his first wife, Kay, who was a waitress at the Oasis Cafe. They were married in March 1966 and moved to Union Gap that same year. His first son Duane was born in 1967, and their second son Roger (Skeeter) was born in 1971.
After some period of working as a mechanic for other employers, Dale and Kay started their own business, Northwest Truck Repair. Dale enjoyed the independence of being self employed and being his own boss. He was successful at growing the business over the years until purchasing the property and later expanding it to Northwest Truck Repair and Salvage. Eventually Dale retired and passed the business on to Skeeter who continues to operate it.
Dale and Kay enjoyed spending time on their boat in the San Juan Islands for several years and catching Dungeness crab was his favorite activity. Later they sold the boat and started traveling the country with a motorhome. They enjoyed 39 years of marriage together before Kay passed away at an early age in 2005.
Dale met Terry Wisner in 2007 and they were married in 2009. Their families blended into Dale and Terry’s life along with 6 grandchildren. They enjoyed spending time with their family, holidays, camping, and boating. Terry’s family consists of her sons Brandon Wisner, companion Gretchen Tipton, his daughter Samantha at WSU, Gavin and Evan from St. Louis, her son Ryan (Sara DenHoed) Wisner and their children Hayden, Peyton and Tinley.
Dale and Terry enjoyed their retirement together, traveling in the motorhome, going on cruises, numerous road trips, and spending time with their grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife Terry, his sons, Duane (Jana) of Walla Walla, Skeeter (Jennifer) of Union Gap, Sister Karen (Leo) of Arlington, Texas, granddaughters Lindsay, Jamie, and Kenzie of Walla Walla, grandson Derek of Yakima, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife Kay, parents Carl and Hazel, and sisters Barbara and Eleanor.
A memorial service will be held at Keith & Keith funeral home in Yakima on April 28, 2022 at 11:00 AM. To leave a memory for the family please visit keithandkeith.com.
