A memorial service celebrating the life of Dale Patrick Hartegan, Sr. will be held on Sat. Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. at Hillcrest.
Dale departed this life at the age of 53, on Friday Nov. 23rd, surrounded by his family and friends, at LSU hospital ,Shreveport, due to complications after colon surgery.
As an Air Force kid he spent his younger years stationed at bases in England and Germany until his father was transferred to B.A.F.B. Dale attended Rusheon Jr. High and was a Bossier High School graduate, Class of '78, where he lettered in Track and Field.
He was a top-notch ASE certified mechanic for 30 years, 20 of which were spent at Moffitt V.W. He could fix anything ... cars, motorcycles, televisions, you name it. For the past few years he was employed as a maintenance man for Sherwood Forest Apartments, and took great pride in his flower beds!
Dale enjoyed watching football and NASCAR, and cooking new dishes.
Although not a particularly religious man, Dale had been saved and baptized in the late 80's at First Baptist Church, Bossier. When he had time on Sunday mornings, he never failed to miss one of Brother Fred's televised sermons. He had the greatest respect for him.
You would have never met a kinder person. He was the type who would give you the shirt off his back. He opened up his'home, on Schex Drive, many times, to anyone who needed a temporary place to stay. He loved animals and couldn't resist giving a stray dog or cat at home.
Left to mourn his passing are his children: Dale P. Hartegan, Jr., Mary Burns, Margo Covolo and their mother, Elaine Dechert, and Alicia Aragon-Moreno and her mother, Rhoda Koglin-Stevens.
Also remembering happier times are his brother and sister Randy Chapman and Dayna Pumphrey, their step-mom Annie Chapman, an a large number of life-long friends, former classmates and customers.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd Hartegan and Edna Dinsmore, his step-parents; Blanche and Chad Chapman, and his older brothers Les and Jim Hartegan.
Special thanks to his friends that were there till the end, the doctors and surgeons at LSU SICU,and to his primarynurses: Rusty and Candace for their care and concern.
Special thanks to Lisa Mizell, who went beyond the call of duty.
In lieu of flowers; donations may be made in Dale's name to either St. Jude's Children's Hospital or PetSavers in Shreveport.
P.S. If you really feel you need to go to the doctors, DON'T WAIT, for it may be too late.
