Dale E. DeForest

September 22, 1941 - April 27, 2014

Dale Erwin DeForest, 72, died Sunday, April 27, 2014 at the Ogallala Community Hospital. He was born September 22, 1941 in Denver, Colorado to Erwin and Ailene (Brent) DeForest. He lived on a farm near Bennett, Colorado until his father’s death in 1947 at which time the family moved to Aurora, Colorado where he attended the Aurora Public Schools. After being discharged from the Army National Guard, Dale went to work in his family’s janitorial business until he started his window cleaning business. Dale married in 1964 and had one son, Arthur. He was united in marriage to Bernadette (Merritt) on March 9, 1974 in Aurora, Colorado. In 1989 Dale accepted a position as maintenance supervisor at which time he and Bernie moved full time to their home at Lake McConaughy and in 1991 to Ogallala. After his recovery from open heart surgery in 2004, he continued working for the school district as a bus driver until his retirement in 2011. He enjoyed fishing, archery, camping, hunting, boating, scuba diving, flying model airplanes, and woodworking. He enjoyed camping, scuba diving and fishing with family at Lake McConaughy and went to several bow hunter jamborees while living in Colorado. He and Bernie traveled whenever possible enjoying a driving trip on the Alaska Highway, to Florida to watch a launch of the Shuttle Discovery and later a family trip to San Diego for shark fishing. Dale was preceded in death by his parents and stepfather, Ernest Chillemi. He is survived by his wife, Bernie DeForest of Ogallala; Son, Arthur Dale (Susan) DeForest of Grand Junction, Colorado; grandsons, Steven DeForest and Thomas DeForest of Grand Junction, Colorado; Sister, Karen Haglund of Englewood, Colorado; Brother Ernest (Linda) Chillemi of Venango, Nebraska; Brother ,Jeffrey (Vivian) Chillemi of Centennial, Colorado; sister, Debra (Rick) Jones of Aurora, Colorado; brother-in-law, David Merritt of Ogallala; two nieces, five nephews; two aunts, and several cousins. Memorials may be given to the Great Plains Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Ailene Chillemi. Condolences may be shared at prairiehillsfuneralhome.com. A memorial service will be held on Monday, May 5, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at the Prairie Hills Funeral Home Chapel in Ogallala with the Reverend Trenton D. Christensen officiating. No visitation or inurnment is planned at this time. Prairie Hills Funeral Home of Ogallala is in charge of arrangements.