Dale Roy Smelcer

Dale Roy Smelcer, of Walla Walla, died peacefully on March 31, 2025, surrounded by his wife, son, and family.

Born in Spokane, Washington, on January 29, 1932, to Roy and Ruth (Fackenthall) Smelcer, Dale was raised on a ranch close to the family homesteads on the Spokane River near Nine Mile Falls, Washington, with younger sisters, Joanne and Lois.

The oldest of 25 cousins, Dale’s childhood was filled with adventures with them and his grandmothers, aunts, and uncles, forging close lifetime bonds.  His gentle kindness, patience, and acceptance were evident from a young age.  Independent, dependable, and drawn to the outdoors, Dale loved the woods, and his skill with an ax or chainsaw became family legend. His family moved to Deer Park, Washington, when he was eleven, where he enjoyed Boy Scouts and sports. As Valedictorian of Deer Park High School in 1950, Dale played baseball and basketball and was active in Key Club and FFA.

Dale volunteered for the United States Air Force during the Korean War, after a semester at Washington State University.  He served two years at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, where he was assigned as chief of the crew maintaining the power equipment serving Strategic Air Command planes coming in at regular intervals.  His military decorations include the National Defense Service Medal.  While in Alaska, Dale took out a homesite on Quartz Lake, south of Fairbanks, where he built a log cabin to prove up the claim, and spent weekends fishing. He was also posted to New York and California.  Dale was discharged from the Air Force three months early to enroll in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Idaho in January 1955.

Always innovative and creative, he loved a good problem to solve, and engineering was a natural fit.  He became active in several student groups on campus, including the Wesley Foundation, and served as president of his engineering student organization. While in college, Dale worked summers for a lumber company as an accountant and supply boat operator on Priest Lake, Idaho, and then as an intern for the Soil Conservation Service in Sandpoint, Idaho.  He cleared the first electric power line (with his uncles) into Kilroy Bay on Lake Pend Oreille.  He then bought property there and, with his father, built the cabin, which continues to be a place of wonderful enjoyment for the family. Following graduation from the University of Idaho in 1959, he began his engineering career with the Soil Conservation Service in Idaho at Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls.

While a senior at the University of Idaho, Dale met his future wife, LaDessa Rogers, who was a freshman.  On June 9, 1962, following her graduation from the University of Idaho, Dale married LaDessa in the Methodist Church in Moscow, Idaho, and they began a life of deep love, public service, travel, and adventure for the next 62 years. They both enrolled in graduate school at Michigan State University in 1962-1963.  In the fall of 1964, Dale took a position as Project Engineer for the Idaho Resource Conservation and Development Project of North Idaho, working out of Moscow, Idaho.  He completed his Master's Degree in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Idaho during this time.

In 1970, Dale was recruited to join the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and the Smelcers moved to FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.  During his time in Rome with FAO, Dale worked on and travelled regularly to agricultural projects in Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Yugoslavia, and Korea, including as a project operations officer and as a liaison officer between FAO and the World Food Program.

In late 1974, Dale took a field assignment with FAO as Project Manager in Leribe, Lesotho, in southern Africa, with a focus on agricultural development and soil conservation.  During this time, Dale and LaDessa welcomed their son, John, who joined the family in 1975. In 1978, the family moved to Evora, Portugal, where Dale was asked to serve as advisor to the government of Portugal for a soil conservation and drainage project for the Alentejo region.

Wanting to educate John in the United States, they returned to the Pacific Northwest, and in 1981, Dale joined the Army Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla, Washington, in the Planning Division with an emphasis on flood control and stream restoration projects.  A one-year fellowship training opportunity in 1985-1986 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, offered the family an opportunity to explore and experience the history of the Washington D.C. region before returning to Walla Walla.

Dale’s strong love for both family and community encouraged him to coach elementary school soccer and serve as Prospect Point PTA president.  He was awarded the Golden Acorn volunteer award.  He could always be found cheering on, not only his son John, but all the teammates, at too many soccer, track, cross country, and basketball games to count.  He was an active member of the Pioneer Methodist Church, serving on committees and as trustee, and he was a 55-year Master Mason, Paradise Lodge 17, Moscow, Idaho.  Dale enjoyed classical music, and he and LaDessa supported local Walla Walla music events.

Quiet and selfless, and an excellent listener, he became a mentor to many, sharing his knowledge of woodworking, building, gardening, and problem solving with a spirit of unlimited generosity.  Always staying active and enjoying engineering projects, Dale was asked to join FEMA as a mitigation engineer after he retired from the Corps.  He continued to serve into his early 90s, assessing damage and developing solutions resulting from natural disasters around the United States.

Dale loved the many trips to London and South Africa to take part in his beloved son’s family life.  He delighted in his twin grandchildren and looked forward to their annual visits, carefully planning enjoyable activities, designing building projects to do together, and time at the family cabin on Lake Pend Oreille.

Dale made a lasting impression on the lives of many people through his kindness, generosity and his incredible embodiment of those Fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22.  He leaves behind family and friends who will miss his wry sense of humor, the twinkle in his eyes, the warmest hugs in the world and the inspiration he instilled.

Dale is survived by his wife, LaDessa; his son, John Dale Smelcer, John’s wife, Dr. Mpho Tlali, two grandchildren, Mohale Sean and Keneoue Saoirse, his honorary granddaughter, Zanele Tlali, and by his honorary Whitman Friendship son, Raj (Kelly) Patra.  He is further survived by beloved nieces and nephews, cousins, and a large, loving family.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Ruth Smelcer, and by his sisters Joanne (Joseph) Gumlaw and Lois (Lyle) Neil.

The Smelcer family extends its deepest gratitude to Abby Sorenson, ARNP, FNP, Dr. Roshan Patel, and the nurses and hospital workers at Providence St. Mary Medical Center for their compassion and kindness.

A Celebration of Life memorial will be held Friday, July 11, 2025, from 1:00 – 4:00 PM, at Pioneer United Methodist Church, Walla Walla, Washington.

The family suggests memorials may be made to the Blue Mountain Land Trust, Kooskooskie Commons, or the University of Idaho Arboretum. Friends and family are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.herringgroseclose.com.