Dale Edward Wallin, son of Harry Axel Wallin and Mable Andreen Wallin, was born in Minneapolis, MN in 1929 and died on Saturday July 14, 2018, in Highlands, NC at the age of 89. Though all of Dale’s young life was marked by the Depression and World War II, he claimed to have had a charmed childhood. His family weathered the hard times of the depression better than many because his father had a job throughout and because his extended family all lived together in a house which his grandfather had built shortly after emigrating from Sweden.
Dale was very proud of his Swedish heritage and loved saying that all four of his grandparents had come to the United States as teenagers. Dale attended Thomas Lowry Elementary School, and graduated from Edison high School in Minneapolis. He furthered his education at the University of Minnesota, but had to quit and go to work after his father died.
Dale often said he had worked all his life, starting as a boy bagging potatoes at a neighborhood grocery store and later delivering groceries before and after school. . At age 20, Dale began working a Donaldson’s Department Store in Minneapolis where he became a buyer in the toy department.
Also at 20 he married his first wife Doris Westerheim, and in 1957, after adopting a three year old son, Todd William Wallin, they moved to Los Angeles where Dale worked for National Cash Register Co. and later for Ravell Model Company. In 1960 Ravell Co. transferred him to Atlanta where he lived and worked for more than 35 years. During those years, he and Doris adopted a three year old daughter, Susan Irene Wallin, and Dale and two friends formed their own company.
Dale loved his successful career as a sales representative for small toy companies, and he enjoyed traveling all over the Southest meeting and making interesting friends along the way. In later years he had many stories to tell about his adventures in the toy business. In 1969 Dale married Betty Baker, and they continued to live in Atlanta until moving to Highlands in the mid 1990s.
During the next 5 years Dale worked with Betty in Real Estate until her unexpected death in 2000. Six years later Dale and Sarah Marshall were married and had twelve happy years together. They enjoyed traveling, cooking together, (Dale had a special interest in Chinese cooking) spending time with family, friends, and their furry children, participating in their church and community activities, and Dale was able to continue his long-time passion for golf.
Dale began to experience health problems in the last couple of years which slowed him down, but he didn’t give up. He kept going just like the “energizer bunny” as long as he could. He loved living in Highlands, and often talked about how lucky we were to live together in such a wonderful place.
Dale was predeceased by his mother, father, son, brother George Wallin, and previous wife Betty. He is survived by his wife Sarah Wallin, his daughter Susie Wiles (Russell) and family, a niece Mina Wallin Shehee (David) and son Mack, a nephew Robert Wallin and son Andrew, and a nephew William Wallin. Also surviving are 3 Marshall stepsons, their wives, and 4 Marshall grandchildren who will miss “Papa Dale” greatly.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday July 28, 2018, at 2:00 PM in the chapel of The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation. The family requests that any memorial gifts be made to a local charity, or the Haitian Ministry of the Episcopal Church, or the Highlands Bolivian Mission. Bryant-Grant Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Wallin family.
Online condolences are available at www. bryantgrantfuneralhome.com.
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