Thomas Lee Dale

Thomas Lee Dale, 64, of Versailles, passed away Sunday, October 15, 2023, at Bothwell Regional Health Center in Sedalia.
He was born June 4, 1959, in Versailles, a son of Melvin and LeAnne Alpers Dale.
Tom was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stover. He was currently a member of First Assembly of God in Versailles. Tom was a 1977 graduate of Stover High School where he became a key basketball player on a winning team, playing in the state tournament. He went on to play basketball for Tarkio College in Tarkio, Mo. for a year.
On December 20, 1979, Tom was united in marriage to Lora Williams, also of Stover. He went to work for NuStyle Quilt Shop in 1980, working for his in-laws Lee and Ruth Williams, learning the trade. Tom and Lora purchased the business in October of 2000, and continued to run the business together, delivering quilting machines, doing trade shows, shipping supplies all over the U.S., as well as servicing the machines.
Tom loved his family more than anything, spending time with his two sons, Jeremiah and Isaiah, fishing, hunting, and of course shooting hoops together. His love for kids and basketball led him to coach the kids at St. Paul Lutheran School for many years. This was a highlight of his life. They all loved him and he truly loved them. Still to this day some of those kids came to visit him.
Tom and his brother, Kenny, mowed yards and the cemetery when they were working age, which was quite an undertaking with only push mowers and clippers. He was a craftsman in many ways, a perfectionist with woodworking, creating beautiful projects over the years of which he gave lasting gifts of wood creations to his family. Tom loved people and he loved to laugh. He loved music and was always sharing a link to a song he just heard and wanted others to hear. Anyone who knew him, knew what a kind and caring person he was. His many friends say "what a good guy." He was known to be the Stover Patrol, making sure everyone was where they needed to be. He made many friends over the years and was always willing to be of help.
In addition to his wife Lora of 43 years, Tom is survived by a son, Jeremiah Dale and his wife Missy, two grandchildren, Gracie Dale and Miah Dale; four step-grandchildren, Kaylee Howard, Bethany Howard, Ben Howard and Max Dale; a sister, Rita Bond and her husband Turner; and a brother, Kenny Dale and his wife Beth, along with nieces, nephews, and other relatives, and many other friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Isaiah Dale.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 21, 2023, at First Assembly of God in Versailles, with Rev. Blake Tiemann and Rev. Jeremiah Dale officiating.
The family will receive friends from 9:00 to 10:45 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will be at a later date in Union Cemetery, Cole Camp.
Honorary bearers will be Kenny Dale, Randy Fischer, Charlie Jenkins, Terry Croy, Larry Pryor, Jim Braden, Kirt Wilson, Ronnie Boeschen, Clint Hibdon and Dewey Owens.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Isaiah Dale Academic Scholarship Fund c/o Lora Dale at P.O. Box 61, Stover, MO 65078.