Dale Wesley Mahan

At this time the services for Mr. Dale Mahan have been cancelled due to public health and safety concerns surrounding the Coronavirus. When services have been rescheduled the staff of Olinger Hampden will update this page on behalf of the family.

Dale Mahan passed peacefully from this life on January 26, 2020 in his room at Harvard Square Memory Care facility. He lived a healthy and gloriously fruitful life until the last week during which he suffered a seizure, resulting in a brief hospital stay and then hospice care.

Dale Wesley Mahan was born in Oilton, Oklahoma on September 12, 1927 to John and Anabelle Adams Mahan. He was the youngest of eight children, all of whom are now deceased. The family moved among Oklahoma and Kansas oil fields and survived the hardships of depression era life with hard work and dedication. In 1944, Dale joined the Merchant Marines. After a brief stint in the Navy, Dale enlisted in the Air Force in 1947. He was stationed in Germany, California, New York, and Oklahoma.

Dale married Lillie Wright Pinkerton in 1960 and then moved to Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York. Soon thereafter, Dale and Lil assumed the care of Lil’s two sons (Bill and Dave Pinkerton), who were living in California. Within months, Dale also took under his care Lil’s daughter, Patricia Snelson Gotori and her three children. The Air Force moved Dale and his adopted family to Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base in Burns Flat Oklahoma in the mid-60s. In anticipation of retirement, Dale moved the family to Ft. Worth, Texas while he completed his service. After retirement from the Air Force in 1966, he parlayed his airframe and powerplant (A&P) license into a job with Frontier Airlines in Denver, beginning in 1969. He also spent 10 years in the Air Force reserves.

During Dale’s 17 years at Frontier, he lived with Lil and various family members in their Aurora home. He provided loving support and quiet guidance for six family members. Dale and Lil were empty nesters by the time he retired from Frontier Airlines in 1986.

Dale and Lil were contagiously affable, which resulted in regular attendance at a favorite “watering hole” and membership in several fraternal organizations. They were avid RVers, camping with large groups of friends all over Colorado, Texas, and Arizona. In 1996, Lil suffered a stroke, so they moved to Windsor Gardens where they continued with their social circle at the Aurora Eagles. Lil passed in 2007. Dale moved to an assisted living facility in 2014 and eventually to the Harvard Square Memory Care facility in 2018.

All of Dale’s children were step-children, yet they all consider Dale the patriarch of their family. His steadfast devotion, quiet guidance, and perpetual optimism became part of the DNA of each of his 4 children, 8 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and 10 great-great grandchildren.

Contributions in Dale’s memory may be sent to:

Harvard Square Memory Care Employee Fund

10200 E. Harvard. Drive

Denver, CO 80231