Dale A Barsness of the Villages, FL, passed away Aug. 8, 2015 at 80. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Shirley, and their children David, Dana (Davis) and Kari (LePouttre). Six grandchildren blessed his life, Christopher, Cassandra, Sara, Anastastia, Stephanie, and Amanda. He is survived by his brothers, Wayne Barsness and Stanley Kolden, and brothers-in-law, Frank Rosenfelt and Terry Smith. He was predeceased by an infant daughter, Deborah; his mother, Valdine (Anderson) Barsness/Kolden; his father Reuben, and stepfather, Melvin Kolden. To know Dale was to know his boundless enthusiasm and zest for life. Not a man of few words, he was born on April 27, 1935 in Killdeer, ND and spent his formative years in Roseglen and Makoti. He graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1957 (BS) and the University of Hartford in 1974 (MBA). Dale served his country with distinction in the U.S. Air Force from 1957-1961 before embarking on a career in sales and marketing with General Electric and later Loctite (Henkel), retiring in 1997. He was proudest of his work in the U.S. Space Program, including commercializing the silicone rubber for the “moon boot” worn by U.S. astronauts. “We may have walked on the moon, but we did so in your shoes,” quipped once RADM Alan Shepard, USN. A lifelong member of the Masonic Fraternity and Shrine, Dale distinguished himself as brother and past master of St Marks/Valley #36 in Simsbury, CT, as a Shriner, he belonged to the Sphinx Chanters, the Motor Patrol, the Legion of Honor and Sphinx Past Masters Club. In Florida, Dale was a member of the Village Shrine Club and Yellow Jackets unit. His most rewarding service, however, was as a Cavalry trooper in the First Company Governor’s Horse Guards of the Connecticut Militia. A memorial service for family and friends will be held at Hope Lutheran Church in The Villages, FL, from 11 a.m. on Friday, August 14, 2015. Inurnment with military honors at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Dale to the Shriners Hospitals for Children. (www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org). “The world is invited, come and meet with God.”
