- Date Of Birth: August 5, 1931
- Date Of Death: September 29, 2022
- State: Texas
GK died on September 29, 2022, at a local senior citizen community.
He was born August 5, 1931, in Winona, Texas to Kirby and Sallie Dale. Growing up in East Texas, GK grew roses on his family’s farm, raised show cattle, and enjoyed playing baseball at the high school and college levels. He was a member of 4-H and Future Farmers of America. Accomplishments included Future Farmers of America awards, the Lone Star Farmer degree, Area Star Farmer, the State Fair of Texas Honor Award, and the Thomas E. Wilson Livestock award.
After attending Tyler Junior College, he served in the US Air Force from 1951-1955. His stations included McDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and the Aleutian Islands, where he was a flight control tower operator. While in Tampa, GK met Hilda Hood. They married on October 3, 1954, in Brooksville, Florida, and returned to Texas in February 1955. GK then completed a degree in agriculture economics at Texas A&M in 1958. He was employed as sales manager for FMC Chemical Corporation at offices in South Texas, Canada, New York State, and Georgia. He retired after 29 years, and then in 1987, he and Hilda moved to Belton.
GK was a member of First Baptist Church, Belton, and a Baptist deacon and Sunday School teacher for 40 years. His parents, his brother, Wendell, and his nephew, Kirby Dale, preceded him in death. Those left to remember GK include his wife of 68 years, Hilda; daughters Andrea Potts (Terry) of Salado and Dr. Rhonda Whitman (Brandon) of Austin; and a son, Duane Dale (Dawn) of North Richland Hills; his granddaughters Dr. Rachel Wood (Mack) of Bloomington, Illinois; Amy Sailors (Alan) of Belton; and Avery Dale of Ft. Worth; his grandsons Jacob Whitman (Preslee) of Fischer, Ben Whitman of Austin and Samuel Dale of Addison; and his great-grandchildren Imogen Elie Wood of Bloomington, Illinois, and Sawyer Dale Whitman and Ruby Nan Whitman of Fischer.
Other survivors include nieces Kathy Rankin of Raleigh, NC, and Monica Bratteli of Longview, Tx. His family and his church were most important to him. He always demonstrated friendship, concern, and support to many who knew him.
