March 6, 2012

Funeral for Dale Strider, 81, of Hartselle, will be Sat., March 10, at 3:30 p.m. at Hartselle First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Harold Thompson officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing.

Visitation will be Fri., March 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. He will lie in state for 30 minutes prior to the service.

Burial will be in Hartselle Memory Gardens.

Mr. Strider died Tues., March 6, 2012, at his residence with his family at his side. He was born April 15, 1930, in Ottawa, Kan., to Joseph and Vera Strider.

He was a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Engineering and served in the U.S. Army from 1951-1953. He received a bronze star for his service during the Korean War.

On June 3, 1955, he married Doris Gayle Connor in Ottawa, Kan., and in 1963 his family moved to Hartwood Farm in Hartselle where he spent the remainder of his life.

An aeronautical engineer, he worked at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville until his retirement. His professional career highlights included work on the Saturn and Apollo rocket programs as a payload development specialist and on the Skylab Mission, the first manned space station in 1973-74.

His personal interests included family, model ship and spacecraft building, sailing and constructing large steam engines at Hartwood.

His life was an example of service to others. He served as president of Hartselle Civitan Club and helped build homes for those in need as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. A member of the Morgan County Master Gardeners, he assisted in the development and opening of the Morgan Count Extension Center greenhouse in 2003.

He was an active member of Hartselle First United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Keyes Strider in 1973 and Vera Jones Strider in 1987.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Gayle Connor Strider of Hartselle; four sons, Robert Keyes Strider and wife Gay of Huntsville, Larry Keyes Strider and wife Connie of Chelsea, Scott Keyes Strider and wife Marilou of Hollywood, Fla. and Joseph Keyes Strider II and wife Janie of Decatur; three grandchildren, Meagan Strider MacDonald and husband Todd of Decatur and David Strider and Thomas Strider, both of Chelsea; a great-grandchild, Stella Blue MacDonald of Decatur; and his beloved dog, Corky.

Pallbearers will be Robert Strider, Larry Strider, Scott Strider, Joseph Strider, David Strider and Thomas Strider.

Honorary pallbearers will be John Lockhart, Lee Coon, Bob Jaques and Harry Houston.

The family extends “thanks to all” for their outpouring of kindness during this time.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Valley and Habitat for Humanity.