Dale David Harnishfeger

Dale was born August 28, 1938, a birthdate he shared with his mother and her twin sister in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dale attended St. Patrick’s elementary school, Roger Bacon High School, and Xavier University. Dale, always known as a hard worker, never missed a single day of school from Kindergarten to 12th grade. Dale joined ROTC in high school to help pay for his college education. It was also during his time in Cincinnati that he became a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan.

Dale worked at Kroger in Cincinnati during his college years. This is where he met his future wife, Joan Mary Bucher. She was the cashier, and he was the bag boy. Dale recalled that as soon as he saw the kindness she had for the children at the store, he wanted her to be his wife and mother to his children. They dated for several years and finally married when Dale was home from his army training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.

Dale began a long career at United Parcel Service shortly after leaving his position in the army as lieutenant. He started as a package driver, suffering a dog bite on his birthday. He worked his way up through the years and the cities of Cincinnati, Knoxville, and Nashville to division manager. Steadfastly loyal, he even decided that brown was his favorite color.

Dale and Joan were loving parents to Diane, Jeanne, and Tom. Dale, ever the devoted father, attended many ball games, concerts and recitals for his children. His mantra as a father was simple and repeated often: “It’s always equal between the three kids.”

Dale moved into the role of caregiver to Joan when she developed Parkinson’s disease in 1990. Soon after this diagnosis, Dale and Joan found a love for travel after meeting Jeanne and her husband, Mark, in London. Making the most of their time together, they traveled around the world - from Hawaii to Turkey, from Germany to Egypt, they saw the world. Dale would always gush about the grandeur of the Great Wall of China when given the opportunity, with the picture of him and Joan atop the Great Wall displayed prominently in his living room.

After retiring from UPS, Dale found a retirement job as a driver for Centerstone, driving around the elderly for their healthcare appointments. He enjoyed the privilege of serving his community, and on more than one occasion referred to the people he drove as “the best people you could ever meet.”

Always a loving husband, Dale first moved with Joan to Belmont Village and then Richland Place to make certain she received the best care possible. After Joan’s untimely passing from Parkinson’s and decades of caregiving, Dale found a new zest for life. He made certain to visit Tom and his family every Saturday for the past 10 years. He frequently took long walks to keep his body sharp, often joined by Jeanne and Aidan. When Diane came for one of her frequent visits, they enjoyed marathon puzzle building sessions and sudoku. He took this time to enjoy more travel with his family.

Dale was a lifelong, devout Catholic, receiving his first communion in 1946. He was always active in the church and attended mass weekly. He also involved himself in acts of service, big and small - from acts of charity with the Knights of Columbus, to helping count the weekly donations, to volunteering at Second Harvest food bank, his faith was deeply tied to his desire to give back to his community.

When Dale discovered he had cancer six years ago, his first reaction was to say, “I lived a good life.” After the diagnosis, he found a new and heightened desire to travel to new places, try new things, and live the rest of his life to the fullest. As with all things in his life, he made sure to include his family in his final bucket list items and managed to visit almost all fifty states before he died.

Dale was an active, engaged member of the Richland Place community where he played bridge several times a week and found wonderful friendships among the residents. He was active to the end, and never failed to enjoy steak dinners, ice cream, Reds baseball, Titans football, and the company of his loving family.

Dale will be deeply missed by all. He is preceded in death by his parents (Mathew and Margaret Harnishfeger), siblings (Donald and Dan Harnishfeger) and wife (Joan Harnishfeger). He leaves behind his sister (Dorothy Adams), his children Diane (Scott) Morris, Jeanne (Mark) Rowan, and Tom (LaWanda) Harnishfeger, and his grandchildren Aidan Rowan, Job Harnishfeger, and Jon Thomas Harnishfeger.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to some of Dale’s favorite charities: St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Special Olympics, Michael J Fox Parkinson’s Foundation, or Ronald McDonald House.

A celebration of life will take place at Richland Place on Elmington Avenue on November 2 from 3-5pm. All are welcome.

There will be a full mass funeral service for Dale on November 4, at 1pm at Christ the King Church on Belmont Blvd. with visitation prior to the mass at 12pm. All are welcome.