- Date Of Birth: January 6, 1931
- Date Of Death: March 7, 2020
- State: Idaho
Dale Brisack Harris, 89, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, passed away Saturday, March 7, 2020, at his home.
The son of Willard Manning Harris and Lucy May Brisack, Dale was born January 6, 1931, in Lincoln, Nebraska. He moved to Lander, Wyoming, at age four, then to Cheyenne, Wyoming, in the sixth grade. In 1949, he graduated from high school in Cheyenne. He worked two years for the railroad and then went to college. He started school in 1952 at The University of Wyoming in Laramie. With the Korean War going on, the draft continuing, and needing to earn more to pay tuition, he joined the Navy. He made the most of Navy opportunities and availed himself all the schooling he could, earning a specialty in Electrical Engineering. He served on the USS Keosanqua, the smallest armed seafaring fleet tug. He spent time in Hawaii and in Sasebo and Tokyo, Japan, and was honorably discharged in 1956.
He earned money for school working for the Union Pacific Railroad, the University of Wyoming, J.C. Penney Co., Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph, and the U.S. Navy.
They lived in Cheyenne WY, Rapid City SD, Wichita KS, Rancho Cordova CA, and Poway CA before moving to Idaho Falls in 1976. He worked as a Quality Engineer, Industrial Engineer and salesman for employers including: Convair Astronautics, Martin-Marietta Corp., Aerojet General Corp., Lew Williams Chevrolet, All Car Leasing, General Atomic, EG&G Idaho National Laboratory, Exxon Nuclear Idaho Co. and Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Co. While he was a project manager in Quality Assurance Engineering at Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company, Dale got in his morning run chasing after the bus.
He is survived by his children, Gregory P.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Louise in 1993; his parents; and his brother, Russell M. Harris in 2015.
Making popcorn was an art and entertaining show. He loved to feed and watch the birds. Wearing his bucket hat, he tended his lawn and outside projects. He loved to talk and tell stories. Dale was friendly, funny, quick witted, laughed easily, and he knew when to use his charm. He enjoyed watching the news and reading the paper, Pepsi in hand. He earned a black belt in Aikido and also practiced other martial arts.
Being an engineer, he was quite the inventor, creating contraptions to help in the yard or fix up an old car, among many. His quality assurance eye wasn’t limited to his job. Extreme details, planning, and organization ensured every project was “done right.” This includes house plans, sprinkler system, building a fence, pouring a concrete patio, building a playhouse, or putting in a drainage pipe, along with keeping notes to keep track of almost anything. He provided the best dance floor by bringing his own dance floor powder. Interested in the weather, he daily tapped his barometer and tracked inside and outside temperatures.
After retirement, as a widowed man, he added new activities and routines.
He went out daily for breakfast, a different restaurant and specific day for each one. He had “his table” and each waitress knew he liked his coffee black and continually topped off, his coffee waiting for him before he sat down. They knew he liked half and half with his oatmeal. One half oatmeal and the other half cream. If he showed up on the wrong day, they would jokingly tell him it wasn’t his day.
With his positive and persevering spirit, he reminded us “age is just a number” and “you’re only old if you think you are.”
His children are thankful for the many neighbors and friends who helped him in his home including shoveling snow, putting out his trash, and bringing over fresh baked goodies.
Dale was a beloved husband, father, grandfather (Grandpa Dale, Poppy, Grandpa, Papa Dale), father-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, boyfriend, friend and neighbor. We have been blessed to be a part of his life.
