Dale Kenneth Holbrook (my uncle) March 18, 1928 - March 29, 2013 U.P. - Michigan - Wisconsin

Dale K. Holbrook passed away to his eternal home Good Friday morning, March 29, 2013.

He was born March 18, 1928 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Albert and Emily (Johnson) Holbrook. He grew up in the Michigamme and Marquette, Michigan areas. He graduated from Northern University of Michigan in 1951, and then married Betty Lou Stratton of Mass, Michigan in June of 1951. The couple lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for the first half of their married life while Dale taught high school industrial arts, and later, mathematics at Houghton Technological University. After becoming a pilot and getting his flight ratings, Dale left his teaching career to begin his own flight service business in 1960. He, his brother in law, and another partner supplied the Marquette county and surrounding area with reliable, quality air taxi and ambulance service, flight instruction, and aircraft maintenance and licensing. They flew passengers on regular taxi routes to the Isle Royal National Park from 1958 to 1961 with a Canadian Grummun Goose amphibious seaplane. In 1962 Dale also began an aerial photography business taking aerial photos of communities, farms, and businesses in Michigan and Wisconsin. In 1968, Dale moved his family to Shawano, Wisconsin where he became manager of the Shawano Municipal Airport until 1971. At this time he moved his aerial photography business to the Clintonville Community Airport. In the 1980's and 1990's Dale worked for the state of Wisconsin and the state of Michigan ASCS offices doing aerial mapping for them. He had designed his own computerized system to do this single-handedly in his airplane. The family has lived in the Marion area since 1971.

Dale and Lou had ten children, Leanne (Ronald Kersten), K. Andrew (Jacalyn Joren), Dean (Pam Branchfield), Glen (Sandy Angel), Brian (Lisa Mavis), Paul (Julie Niebling), Janet, Nathan (April Rohan), Mary (Moses McGlone), and Brent (Jamie Lancour). At last count, they have 57 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. He is further survived by his brother, Allen Holbrook, 90, of Traverse City, Michigan. Dale recently lived with his daughter and family in the Tigerton area. All his life a travelling enthusiast, in his late years he enjoyed taking rides in the Wisconsin and Michigan countryside, listening to classical music and Christian radio broadcasts. He loved visiting with people, new friends and old, and was always concerned for their welfare, physically and spiritually. Dale was preceded in death by his wife, Lou, in 2009.

There will be an Open House Memorial Service for Dale at the Fairbanks Town Hall, Tigerton, (located in Split Rock) on Saturday, April 27th from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. The Beil-Didier Funeral Home, Marion, assisted the family. Online condolences may be sent via www.beil-didier.com.