I first met Dale 11 years ago when Trent and I flew to Florida to "meet the family". We had multiple weather delays in Atlanta and finally arrived at almost midnight in West Palm Beach. A lot of parents would have sent for a taxi, or at least been napping in the airport pickup line, but not Gail and Dale- they were the first faces we saw right out of the gate and it was the first time I got to witness that infectious smile everyone remarks on when describing Dale...one I see in Trent when he has his own “proud dad” moments.

Barb and I met Gail and Dale before they moved into the Ibis Country Club.  At the time they were living in their builders unused home waiting for their house to be completer.  We would often go to the movies and dinner and as a result became very close.  We loved listening to Dale tell us interesting and often humorous stories of his boyhood growing up in Mississippi.  Since we lived so close to each other we often saw Dale walking Baron, his poodle.  Sometimes we would see him taking Baron for a ride in his golf cart.  It was a funny sight, seeing Dale driving the cart with this very large dog sitting on the seat next to him.  He would stop and we would talk about almost anything, most of the time however about Baron and  how he was feeling.  Both Gail and Dale joined Barbara and me in a card game and dinner club with a number of other couples from the neighborhood.  We had many laughs and always enjoyed dinner afterwards.  To Barb and I Dale was the perfect Southern Gentleman. He will be missed

I echo all of Trent’s sentiments about our Dad and State Farm.I also worked at State Farm during a few summers when I was in college and I was amazed at how he literally did know everyone’s name in an office of thousands and was so well liked and respected.

Outside of his long and successful career at State Farm, he was an amazing dad.Many things that he did at the time, I took for granted as something that all fathers do, but looking back I know that was not the case.He went above and beyond, and I know how lucky I was.I started off being a “Daddy’s Girl” from the start.As my Mom tells it, when Trent was born, I was fine if my Mom was holding Trent or paying attention to him, but I didn’t want my Dad to have anything to do with this new interloper and was always trying to distract him to come and play with me when he was holding Trent.

I recall our long hikes through Brandywine park with his walking stick, our trips to Dairy Queen or TCBY (because of course the kids wanted to go, not because of his sweet tooth), him being at all of my softball, basketball and lacrosse games, practicing softball with me for endless hours in the yard, fishing in Mississippi (he always baited my hook and took off the fish), him going down the water slide at Pep’s point with us over and over again because we went faster if he was on our mat, him teaching me to drive on the country roads in Mississippi long before I was 16 (I aced driver’s ed in high school when all of the other kids were struggling) and him helping me with all of those school projects.

One of the true “dad moments” that we still would talk about many years after the fact was the infamous “Spider Incident”.In high school, I was driving my car when I felt and then saw a spider on my hand.This was not a normal spider….it was huge.Not tarantula big, but it was VERY big with legs big enough to have hair on them.I of course did what any normal 17-year-old teenage girl would do, screamed, flung the spider from my hand to somewhere in the car, stopped the car with the car still running, walked to a nearby doctor’s office (before cell phones) and called my dad.He could have told me to get back in the car and drive home, but instead knowing how freaked out I was…...he left work, drove 20 minutes to where I was, gave me his car and drove my car home.He also drove my car for the next two weeks to make sure the spider didn’t make another appearance.Only many years later as we laughed about it did he tell me how freaked out he was driving the car that day and how many times he thought he felt the spider on him on that long drive home.He later said he set off 10 bug bombs in the car to make sure it never reappeared.Thanks again for that Dad!

As anyone who knew him also knows, he was not only a great dad, but a good person and I am thankful he is finally at peace.I love you and will miss you Dad!

My brother and I were super lucky to have "Uncle Dale" in our lives.  He treated us like we were his buddy, friend, and child.  He took us fishing and to this day I have never taken a fish off the hook by myself. He loved to laugh and have fun.  He was honored with baby-sitting us one time (probably the only time to be exact LOL) and when Mom returned he had us sitting around a table, playing cards with cigars in our mouths.  Yes we were the only ones laughing.

He totally believed in me. In his mind I was the smartest person he knew (well until Tristie and Trent arrived).  He even took me to his "big" college to prove how smart I was.  Well needless to say, I wouldn't even tell anyone my name much less read and do all the things he knew I could.  He bribed me with a special book that was like a purse, but I didn't keep my end of the bargain and became mute.  In the end he just laughed and we went home.  I kept that book until it literally fell apart.

Uncle Dale and Aunt Gail were and are special people in my life.  They shared their entire life with me.  They even introduced me to Super Slides (again Mom was not at all impressed).   Even as a young married couple they always had time for Jeff and me and showed us unconditional love.  

I will always remember Uncle Dale's laugh, silliness, and display of love he shared with me in between his sneaking into the kitchen for some cake.  God showed me what a good person is and how they act by putting Uncle Dale in my life.  I am truly blessed to have been included in his life and I am a better person for it.

Dale and I worked together in the executive office of St Farm in Georgia. We opened the region in 1991, and as his son Trent has said,he got to know all the employees personally. You could not ask for a better man to work with. Dale was intelligent, loyal and a great leader. Everyone respected him. He loved his family and what a wonderful wife,Gail and family he had. He was proud of his Mississippi roots and loved his Miss St Bulldogs. How he ever let his son go to Ole Miss is a mystery. I’m sure every check he wrote to his hated rival school was hard. 

Dale will be missed by everyone who knew him. He was certainly one of the best people I had the pleasure of working with.

Drew and Gail Hamilton

In 1995, I had just completed my first year of college at Ole Miss.  My Dad went to Mississippi State, but that is a whole other story!  My Dad was the VP of Operations at State Farm for the Georgia/South Carolina Region at the time.  Children of State Farm employees were able to complete summer internships during summer break.  

My Dad has always been a people person and was successful as a manager because he truly cared about everyone that he worked with throughout his career.  I am not exaggerating when I say that he knew every coworker's name and life story....and we are talking thousands of people.  He just loved talking and getting to know everyone.  

The first week I started as an intern, he came and got me out of work to show me around the office.  My Dad introduced me to dozens of people.  Not only did he know their names, he knew that Darrell was an LSU fan and made a mean gumbo, that Lisa had 3 boys that all loved fishing like him, that Tony was an amateur race car driver on the weekends, etc.  He know everything about everyone.  

At the time, I thought he was trying to impress me.  I think back now and realize how naive I was at the time.  He wasn't trying to impress me at all; he was just so proud of me and was showing me off to everyone at work.  He did this his whole life when he met someone.  I'm a Dad now and I totally get it.  

My Dad was always there for me throughout my entire life.  He came to every soccer game, every boring awards ceremony and was there to support and comfort me through every difficult time in my life.  

I love you Dad.  I will miss you every day.  I could not have asked for a better father.