Marilyn Dale Kimura

Born on May 27, 1935, in Glens Falls, New York, she was the beloved daughter of the late Maurice C. Whitney and Betty Sanders Whitney of Glens Falls, New York, and Sun City Center, Florida.

A lifelong lover of music, and daughter of two musicians, Dale graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, and went on to pursue further studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. Her passion for education led to a dedicated twenty-one year teaching career. She spent five years inspiring young musicians as an elementary strings teacher in Massapequa, New York, followed by sixteen years teaching elementary and junior high music in Garden Grove, California.

As an accomplished cellist, Dale shared her talents across a spectacular array of stages. After relocating to Florida, she performed for Disney weddings, the Disney Candlelight Processional, and shared the stage in the backing orchestras for legendary artists including Ray Charles, The Moody Blues, Steve Lawrence, and Eydie Gormé during their Orlando tour stops. Dale was deeply embedded in her local musical communities, performing in regional orchestras and conducting the Sun Point Orchestra at the Congregational Church in Sun City Center, Florida. She will be remembered for her laugh, her musical legacy, and her dedication to her students.

Recently, Dale relocated to Cary, North Carolina, to be closer to family. She is survived by her niece, Sarah Whitney McCormack, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Burial will take place in Mansion Memorial Park in Ellenton, Florida. At the request of the deceased, there will be no services.

Donations can be made in her memory to Triangle Youth Music, PO Box 782, Cary, NC 27512.