Dale Dwight Powell

Dale lived the life of a Nebraska farm boy during the Depression until 1939, when his parents, in desperate financial straits, sold out and moved to Barstow, California to join other family members who had already relocated there. Dale never forgot the 3-day ride from Stromsburg to Barstow in a 1936 Ford two-door sedan.

During his 10 years in Barstow, his family, like many others who had come to California in search of a better life, struggled to make ends meet. Through a remarkable chain of events, in 1948 Dale's mother found employment as a Court Clerk and would eventually be elected to the office of Justice of the Judicial District where she served until 1966. The impact of his mother attaining such a respected public office surely played a role in his decision later in life to become an attorney.

In 1950, Dale enlisted in the Air Force and, in March, 1951, he met and fell in love with Lillian Rae McGhie during a visit home.

In 1953, one week after he was commissioned as second lieutenant and got his wings as a fighter pilot, on Easter Sunday, Dale and Rae were married. They would remain devoted to one another for nearly 72 years.

Dale’s military service eventually took them to Massachusetts where their two daughters were born.

After Dale’s discharge from the Air Force in 1956, he and Rae returned to California where Dale would receive a Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, be hired by Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego, and the family would settle in La Mesa.

By 1963, concerns about the unpredictability of the aerospace industry led Dale to pursue a law degree. In 1964, with a wife and two small children to support, he enrolled in a 4-year night school class at the University of San Diego while continuing to work full-time. By 1970, he had received his law license and would maintain an active private law practice until 1996, when the couple retired to the mountain town of Idyllwild, California.

After 20 years of retired life in the mountains, they moved back to San Diego in 2015 to be near family.

Dale and Rae's shared devotion extended to their family. Over the years, they often opened their home to relatives needing a place to stay during difficult or uncertain times. There was nothing they would not do for their children and grandchildren.

Their life together was filled with both good times and bad and they lived through it all, side by side, holding hands. Less than two months after Rae's passing, Dale followed.

At the time of Dale's death, he was residing at La Vida Real in El Cajon. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rae, his brother, Raymond V. Powell, and his sisters Laura Durham and June Aardappel. He is survived by his children, Teresa Laggner and Claudia Powell; his grandchildren, William Laggner and Kelly Laggner; and his great-granddaughter, Sabrina Balint.