Dale Barron of St. Louis, Missouri, died peacefully at the age of 75 at his nursing home on Friday, December 4, 2020 following a courageous battle with a rare and aggressive form of cancer further exacerbated by the tyrant COVID-19.

Dale was born on October 13, 1945 to Geneva (nee Pigg) Pazur and Myron B. Barron. He despised his forename and eventually chose to disregard it altogether. Despite having the name scratched out with a ballpoint pen extensively, an envelope with a 1968 postmark provided the key to the answer when a Vital Records Clerk refused to provide a birth certificate without knowing the exact name that belonged to the letter “A. Dale Barron” listed on an old passport. Unlike Uncle Dale, his great-nieces think Alvin is a charming name.

Dale attended Trinity Lutheran at 8th & Soulard from 1951-1959. He also spent some time in the Maricopa County Public School District in Avondale, AZ receiving a certificate of graduation in 1959. Dale’s maternal grandmother, Cora Thrift, and extensive extended family resided in Avondale making it a second home to the family. Dale graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1963. He continued his education at Washington University, Ranken Technical College and Westco Tech.

Dale had several careers over his lifetime with a broad resume. He considered his main profession as a Lensman. He loved photography. He had scores of books on the subject and was particularly fond of both military and nude photography. He was a huge fan of Ansel Adams. Among his belongings was a laminated card that read Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group APO San Francisco that listed him as a Photo Journalist.

Dale was certified as an Associate Member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1970. He later became a Certified Audio Consultant. A September, 1986 article in Electronic Merchandising featured a picture of Dale at the 8th Annual CMC Expo. Ozzie Smith autographed a sales tag wishing him good luck and best wishes. Prior to CMC’s bankruptcy filing in 1987, Dale had reached the $250,000 Sales Club. He was very good at sales and did a stint in car sales as well.

Dale was proud of his accomplishments in the Shorin-Ryu School of Karate, obtaining the green belt in 1979. One of St. Louis’ most popular bands in the 1980s and ’90s was Fairchild and Dale had scores of pictures of the band and concert fans. We are certain there is more to that story and look forward to the contributions of others to share how Dale was involved with the band.

Dale was a Life Member and Benefactor of the NRA and a Director of the Gateway Civil Liberties Alliance. He enjoyed visiting the shooting ranges and attending gun shows. Dale was also an Election Judge and enjoyed working the polls.

While never a father, Uncle Dale was the most devoted attendee at his great-nieces’ sporting events. There was not a single sport he disliked. He was always quick to offer to be a chauffeur to drive the girls to basketball, swim/dive, soccer, gymnastics, volleyball, etc. He was often assumed to be their grandfather, and never corrected the error.

Uncle Dale will be profoundly missed by his beloved niece and nephews Geneen (Troy) Von Kloha, Steven T. Pazur III (Christina) and Thatcher J. Pazur; and great nephews and nieces Andrew, Elijah, Xavier, Gylian, Georgiana, Genevieve, Aryia and Truman. Dale was preceded in death by both of his younger brothers, Steve Jr. and Dennis, and his nephew Zachary. He is survived by his sister Carol (Bob) Guttmann and sister-in-law Judy Pazur. He will fondly be remembered by many friends and neighbors, a gentle soul indeed.

Our family would like to thank all the members of the Facebook Group ‘From the Heart’ who took the time to forward a 75th birthday greeting, holiday card or words of encouragement to Dale. He had a love affair with greeting cards, never throwing them away, and we know these made a difference for him in his final days.

Everyone who remembers Dale is asked to celebrate his life in their own way. Raising a glass of your favorite drink in his memory or performing an unexpected and unsolicited act of kindness in his name would be quite appropriate. Memorial contributions to NAMI St. Louis at 1810 Craig Road, Ste. 124, 63146 to benefit the Ending the Silence or Crisis Intervention Training programs would be admired.

At his request, Dale was laid to rest with his mother in Concordia Cemetery. A celebration of remembrance will be planned at a later date when it is once again safe to gather. If you desire to be informed of the event, please comment below or email uncle.dale.barron@gmail.com.