Dale C Tripp

He was born inOquawka, IL onAugust 3, 1935. He was married to Virginia Tripp on September 1, 1961; they were married for nearly 54 years.

Dale was devoted to his wife and two daughters; when his wife declined in health in later years, he took care of her to the end so she could stay at home. She was his soul mate and best friend.

He always encouraged his daughters to follow their dreams, imagine the impossible, and that with hard work and will, there was always a way. He was “Dad” to all the many friends his daughters brought home through the years, and always let them know they were welcome with gentle teasing and humor. It was not unusual for him to be fixing a car in the garage, whether it was one of his daughters or one of their friends who needed a hand.

Dale enjoyed barbeques with family and friends in the summers and loved to talk around a campfire until late in the night. He was also an avid reader, did a crossword puzzle every day, and always loved to learn new things. He enjoyed staying current with world events, politics, and health trends; he loved sharing the latest health tips with his family during regular Sunday dinners. He would often experiment with healthy recipes and share them with his daughters; sometimes they were successful, other times not, but he shared regardless and grinned when he did it.

He loved the outdoors and walks in the woods. After building their dream home in the country with his wife Virginia, he loved gardening and planting flowers and trees to complete the landscaping. He always enjoyed planting a vegetable garden in the Spring, and began planning it as soon as the early seed catalogs arrived in the mail. He had recently built raised bed garden boxes, and had already planted early season vegetables.

Dale fed the deer, birds, and squirrels every day, and enjoyed watching them from the many windows in his dining room. He had a kind heart and never encountered an animal in need that he didn’t help.

He was an intelligent man of deep integrity who would always do the right thing. He was a good listener, and when presented with a problem, would always come up with a unique perspective. He was known for his dry wit and sense of humor; he lived fully and laughed often.

Dale owned and operated Supreme Radio Communications, Inc. for over 50 years, and was still actively involved in the business. Under his leadership, it grew from just a small shop with three employees to multiple locations covering a large portion of Illinois with 35 employees. He greatly enjoyed both the business and the employees, and always enjoyed outlining his vision for the company’s future based on emerging business and technology trends.

He is survived by daughter Kami (Mike) LaVallier, daughter Shari (Ursala) Tripp, as well as brothers Daniel, Donald, Roy, James, and David, sisters Wilhelmina, Mary, and Lillie, and other family and friends. Dale is preceded in death by his wife Virginia, parents William and Mary, brother Thomas, and sister Betty.

Dale served his country in the United States Navy.

A private family service will be held at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. The Rev. Judy Doyle will officiate. Military rites will be provided by the U.S. Navy.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Pets for Seniors & Pets for Saving Animal Shelter at www.petsforseniors.orgor Pets for Seniors, P.O. Box 64, Edwards, IL 61528-0064.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com