Dale Randall Halberg Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin, and friend, age 73, of Saluda, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Dale, or Randy, as he was affectionately called by his family, was born on January 31, 1950 to Dale and Joan Halberg near St. Peter, Minnesota, where they attended Gustavus Adolphus College. He was the oldest of four and their only son. When he was four years old, the family moved to Connecticut to be near his paternal relatives. He grew up in Farmington and Portland, Connecticut. Although his professional life was as an engineer, Dale grew up a gifted artist and athlete. He captained the tennis team in both his junior and senior years in high school and was a graceful and expert snow skier. His high school art teacher claimed he was the best artist she had ever taught and he wanted to attend Rhode Island School of Design. At that time, the Vietnam War was raging and art school students could not qualify for draft deferments. He decided to join the Navy and spent the next eight years on and off the European continent, mostly in Italy, but spent significant time in a Spanish hospital while he recuperated from appendicitis that turned toxic.
Dale had a great sense of humor and loved to tell the story that when they found out he could fix anything including incubators, they kept him at the hospital claiming he wasn’t well enough to leave. Dale left his mark on everyone. He was a true leader. He was always there to help whomever needed him, his family, friends, and the Spanish hospital. Everyone loved and admired him. He never let anyone down. He worked harder than anyone we knew both at his job and with his family and friends. Dale attended Old Dominion University. He joined Jonathan Corporation in Norfolk, Virginia, as an engineer after he left the Navy. He had a long and illustrious career with Jonathan Corporation, and later spent 25 years with Newport News Shipbuilding. He left an indelible mark on his colleagues, as evidenced by their uncanny impressions of his signature catchphrases.
Dale led the life he wanted and was fulfilled by his work and family. Most importantly, he and his wife, Sylvia, created a warm and loving family. They had a beautiful home on seven acres of woods, where they could “forest bathe” while overlooking the lake. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, birdwatching, gardening, feeding the chickens, and spending time with his family. One of his favorite titles was the one of being a Poppa to his grandchildren. He spent many a time at sporting events, fishing, teaching, working on art projects, homework, being silly and telling his childhood stories with his grandchildren who adored him. He had the instinctive ability to comfort others with his gentle spirit and empathetic heart. He was proud of his Swedish heritage and loved to share stories about his childhood. He was the very best husband, father, and Poppa.
He is and will always be missed by his wife of 40 years Sylvia; children, Tara and Nathan Ford, Ethan and Kayla Halberg, and Eric Hansen, as well as his grandchildren, Addison Harrison-Halberg, Noah Ford, and Archer Ford, and his siblings, Dana and husband Larry Pless, Leslie and late husband Michael Flood, late sister, Jaye and husband Tom Egan; sister-in-law, Lois and husband Sam Warren, and many beloved nieces and nephews. He has been greeted in heaven by his mother and father and his sister, Jaye. The family received friends at Hogg Funeral Home on Monday, June 5, 2023, from 1-1:45 p.m., with a memorial service in the chapel at 2 o’clock followed by Navy funeral honors. Inurnment will be private. In memory of Dale, contributions may be made to The Lupus Foundation of America, 2121 K Street, N.W., Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20037 or online at https://www.lupus.org.
Services under the direction of Hogg Funeral Home & Crematory.