Dale "Bud" E. Mayo

Dale learned the importance on God, family, and work from his parents and 3 older siblings. He was talented and energetic. Dale enjoyed sports like football, basketball, baseball and track in high school of which he graduated from in 1961. Dale believed in the value of hard work, and learned this from his early teenage years. He would ride his bicycle 10 miles every morning for several years to deliver the town newspaper. Dale held jobs doing a multitude of things around town, he delivered clothes for local cleaners, operated a backhoe for construction projects. He pumped gasoline and changed tires at the local gas station, and he even operated the movie projector in the local theater, all in the small town of Decatur, Mississippi.

Dale attended East Central Junior College in Decatur, where he received his associate’s degree in 1963. He then went on to attend Mississippi State University where he enrolled in a COOP program whereby he worked alternate semesters at the Tennessee Valley Authority in Florence, Alabama. During this time he married his high school sweetheart Sylvia Lynn Blount, who was also from Decatur, on August 28, 1966. Dale graduated from MSU in 1967 with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering, and went on to accept an engineering position with Philips Petroleum Company located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in the spring of 1967.

He enlisted in the United States Army due to the escalating war in Vietnam in the fall of 1968. He completed basic, AIT, and was accepted to officer candidate school at Fort Belvoir, VA where he graduated as a 2nd LT. in November of 1969. He would eventually be promoted to 1st LT. and would be trained to be a combat field engineer. Dale was assigned to CCREL mistakenly thinking it was a “coal’ research and engineering laboratory, but it happened to be a “cold” regions research and engineering laboratory located in Hanover, N.H. He served as adjutant to Army Commander and received a commendation medal for this. He underwent orders in Vietnam to serve as a combat field engineer, but orders were cancelled as they were being handed to him at Fort Denver, MA by a phone call from Washington, DC. Dale was honorably discharged from the military in the spring of 1971.

Dale returned to his job as a chemical engineer with Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, OK. He traveled world-wide over 36 years on many projects. Dale lived 10 years in Stavanger, Norway, he flew off shore as a startup and process engineer for the Ekofish Oil Field Production. He also had other projects in South America, Katar, South Africa, Australia and China. Dale retired while working in China in December of 2002.

Through his work years he was blessed with 3 children, Colby Dale, Corey Edwin, and Kerri Lynn. He was also blessed with 8 grandchildren, Delaney, Dylan, Daylee, Ashton, Ayden, Alayna, Grant, and Blake. Dale was active in his church and community. He served as the chairman board of trustees, as well as on the children’s bus ministry. He gave children’s sermons on Sunday service’s at the church. Dale also sang in the choir and in a quartet as tenor. He served as a leader of a Boy Scout Troop while in the Army in Hanover, NH as well as when he lived in Norway. When living in Bartlesville he had a passion for raising and taking care of horses on his farm.

Dale adored his grandchildren, and very much loved attending as many of their activities as possible while cheering them on. He was a loving father, a man of few words but full of wisdom. He enjoyed saying unexpected yet humorous things. Dale was greatly loved and respected by his family, co-workers, and friends. He was a faithful husband of 55 years of marriage, and will be so greatly missed.

Dale is survived by his wife Sylvia Lynn Blount-Mayo; Sons, Dr. Colby Dale Mayo (Christina), Dr. Corey Edwin Mayo (Ashley); Daughter, Kerri Lynn Adams (Buck); Grandchildren, Delaney Mayo, Dylan Mayo, Daylee Mayo, Ashton Mayo, Ayden Mayo, Alayna Mayo, Grant Adams, and Blake Adams; Brother, Richard Earl Mayo.

He was preceded in passing by his parents, Otto Bernard and Virginia Moody Mayo; Brother, Jack Bernard Mayo; Sister, Betty Lee Comegys Mayo.

God gave me “Buddy” and now I have given him back to be with The Lord until the day we are united again in Heaven…

A memorial service will be held for Dale at 1pm, Friday, October 2nd, 2021 at Memorial Park Cemetery’s Historic Cemetery Chapel with inurnment to follow at Memorial Park Cemetery located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers the family asked that memorial donation be made in Dale’s memory at The Care Center Oklahoma City, Nexus Equine of Oklahoma City, and the ASPCA Equine Welfare Regional Support Center.