Dale L. Pallas, of Dowagiac

Published 8:27 am Monday, February 26, 2018

Sept. 25, 1941 — Feb. 20, 2018

Dale L. Pallas, 76, of Dowagiac, passed away peacefully at The Timbers of Dowagiac on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, surrounded by his loving wife and close friends.

A Celebration of Life gathering will take place from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, at Clark chapel, 405 Center St., Dowagiac. Burial with a committal service will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Dowagiac.

Dale L. Pallas

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cass County Council on Aging, Cassopolis, or the Caring Circle/Hospice at Home, St. Joseph. Friends wishing to leave the family a message of condolence may do so at clarkchapel.com.

Dale was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan, on Sept. 25, 1941, to Leo A. and Ardath E. (Atkinson) Pallas.

He was a 1959 graduate of Watervliet High School and attended Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor. Dale served his country in the U.S. Army, stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas.

On Feb. 7, 1964, he married Nancy M. Stein, in Benton Harbor. Over the years, Dale was employed in the fields of finance and printing. His hobby of photography led him to many years of wedding and portrait work.

In 2004, due to illness, he retired from the management team at Lowe’s Home Center in Benton Harbor.

Dale was active in community events in Dowagiac, where he and Nancy have resided since 1968. As a member of the Dowagiac Area Chamber of Commerce, he served as co-chair of the Miss Dowagiac Pageant for 13 years and designed and constructed many award-winning parade floats. He was also a Blossomtime Festival volunteer for over 40 years, as well as serving in various capacities in the Dowagiac Dogwood Fine Arts Festival. He was a past member of the Lions Club, the Elks Club and Fernwood, and is currently a member of the Loyal Order of Moose. He was a volunteer at the Dowagiac History Museum and the Artisan Farmers Market. He served on the Board of the Cass County Council on Aging for 13 years and was instrumental in bringing the Front Street Crossing in Dowagiac to fruition. He was especially proud of his photography of the public art in Dowagiac which is displayed at Front Street Crossing. Dale also served as a member of the Cass County Transportation Board and the Dowagiac Housing Commission. Dale is survived by his wife of 54 years, Nancy; a daughter, Dawn (Ben) McCarthy of Rockford, Michigan; and a son, Christopher (Monica Albury) Pallas of Clermont, Florida; grandchildren Taylor (Christopher) Wallbrech of Kentucky; Jacob Pallas of Clermont, Florida; Maegan McCarthy and Lucy McCarthy of Rockford, Michigan; and nephew Raymond (Kristina) Krieger of Posen, Michigan, and their sons, Joshua, Seth, and Raiden.

He was preceded in death by his parents.