Dale Murray Hewlett

Dale Hewlett was born in rural north central Iowa on his parents’ farm near the town of Rolfe in Pocahontas County. He spent his formative years as the oldest of three siblings working on the family farm. He attended Des Moines Township, a K-12 country school where he graduated as valedictorian in his class of five in 1943.

Dale was inducted into the US Army in 1944, and took his initial training at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he rose to the rank of Tech Sargent as a weapons instructor.

Following the end of WWII, Dale made excellent use of the GI Bill to attend Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, where he majored in History. During his college years, he met and married his wife, Shirley Haakinson, a graduate of Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) and an elementary school teacher in his hometown of Rolfe. They were married in June, 1949; Dale graduated in June 1950, and both taught school in Paton, Iowa, returning to work the family farm for a brief period, during which their daughter, Gretchen, was born.

Looking to rosier horizons (fueled by a glowing National Geographic article on the opportunities in the Golden State), Dale submitted resumes to various school districts in southern California and quickly secured a position teaching junior high in Hermosa Beach, California, where the family moved in January, 1955. The big city proved too overwhelming for a country boy and within a year, the family relocated to Fresno, an agricultural community that resonated with Dale’s rural upbringing.

Dale taught in Fresno City School District, advancing from Yosemite Junior High to Fresno High, and finally to Hoover High (an expansion school where he was among the first faculty when the school opened). In 1965, he earned a Master of Arts degree in History from CSU, Fresno, and immediately following, applied for and was granted a year-long John Hay Fellowship to study American History at Yale University.

To escape the summer heat of the central valley, the family purchased a cabin near the south entrance to Yosemite National Park, where Dale worked as a seasonal ranger during the summers for several years. They enjoyed their cabin for over fifty years.

Dale retired from active classroom teaching in 1987, but continued part-time, working one-on-one with students having special needs until 1992.

Following Shirley’s 1992 retirement from teaching, they began traveling extensively, visiting all 50 states, and 40 foreign countries. In 1995 they relocated to Palm Desert (Sun City), where they’ve continued an active retirement.

Dale is survived by his wife, Shirley, his daughter, Gretchen Hewlett, and six nieces and three nephews and their offspring. He was predeceased by his parents, Leila Christel (Murray) Hewlett and Theodore Edward Hewlett, and siblings, and Keith Murray Hewlett and Delores Joy (Hewlett) Himle.

Kindred Hospice was a tremendous help to Dale in his final weeks, taking care of him with grace and compassion. If you care to honor Dale’s memory, please do so by making a contribution to KAH Foundation and send it to their offices at 36947 Cook Street, Building 10, Suite 102 Palm Desert, CA 92211.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.tridentsociety.com/location/rancho-mirage-cremation for the Hewlett family.