Dale Craig Swartout

Dale is survived by his wife, Carla Swartout; his son, Craig Swartout, his wife, Abby, and their son, Jackson; and his daughter, Alisha Stickel, her husband, Dale, and their son, Drake.

Dale spent his younger years moving around Oregon before finally settling in Yakima, Washington. He married his wife, Carla, in 1982, beginning a life and family together that would become his greatest pride.

Dale was a simple man who never needed much to be happy. What mattered most to him was having his family around him. And to Dale, family wasn't defined by blood. If he loved you, you were family. He was an amazing husband, dad, son, Boppa, and friend.

He spent nearly his whole life working as an auto body man, with more than 30 years at Ford. Dale retired in 2021 but always took pride in his work and in the life he built for his family.

Dale loved the outdoors and especially loved deer and elk hunting. He was a longtime member of a muzzleloader club, and also belonged to a four-wheeler club. He loved being outdoors with the people he cared about.

Dale never met a stranger. He could talk to just about anyone and somehow have them laughing before long. His dad jokes were, admittedly, terrible, but they were uniquely his, and they will be missed more than anyone could have imagined.

While hunting and the outdoors were among his greatest passions, being a Boppa may have been his greatest role of all. His grandsons, Jackson and Drake, were the center of his heart. He would do anything for them and loved every opportunity to spend time with them. He also proudly loved his many adopted football grandsons, cheering them on and becoming part of their lives just as naturally as if they had been his own.

Dale could be stubborn, sometimes more than a little, but that stubbornness came with a fierce loyalty and a willingness to help the people he loved. He was the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back. He loved his family fiercely, showed up for the people he cared about, and left a mark on far more lives than he probably ever realized.

And if you ever needed a reminder to stop sleeping and get moving, Dale had the perfect answer:

“Get up. You can sleep when you're dead.”

Those words will probably be heard in his family's heads for years to come, along with his terrible dad jokes, his laughter, and the countless memories he left behind.

Dale's family invites everyone who loved him, to come together to celebrate his life. His viewing and service will be held at Keith & Keith Funeral Home in Yakima on October 10th from 12:00 to 2:30 p.m.

Come as you are and dress casually. Dale loved camouflage, hunting, and the outdoors, and there is no doubt he would want everyone to come exactly as they are.

Following the service, the family will gather at the family home for a taco celebration of life. Bring your stories, your memories, and your appetite.

Dale may have been a simple man, but he leaves behind a love that is anything but simple. He was a husband, father, Boppa, friend, hunter, storyteller, jokester, and the guy who could make a stranger laugh.

Most of all, he was ours.

He will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.

Rest easy. We love you.