OKLAHOMA CITY, OK— Bette “Gram” Dale, age 82, passed on Nov. 8, 2021, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with her husband John and family members by her side.
Born in 1939, in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, she was the daughter of William “Bill” Greene and Mae Greene. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Juanita “AJ” Boone and brother, Charles “Chuck” Greene.
Bette was a graduate of Harris High School and attended business school. She started her career as an accountant at Ray Howell Hardware in Spruce Pine and later worked for Southern Bell Company. John and Bette moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1964 for John’s work. She was diagnosed with cancer in 1966 and underwent chemotherapy; one of the first patients in the U.S. to receive the treatment. Against very significant odds and seven months in the hospital with countless surgeries, her will to survive and raise her daughters, Sherry, and Shana, then 6 and 2, prevailed. Throughout her life, she was a powerful role model for tenacity, resilience, and hope.
Ever the optimist with a fiery sense of independence, Bette also had a wry sense of humor, an infectious laugh, and a deep commitment to her family. She delighted in the success of her husband’s career and in the strong, career-minded will she instilled in her daughters. She was a consummate decorator; enthusiastic shopper; adventurous traveler; fantastic friend; and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.
She is greatly loved and will be dearly missed by those she left behind, including her husband, John “Poppy” Dale of Oklahoma City; daughter, Sherry Dale and spouse Melinda Myers of Oklahoma City; daughter, Shana Dale Fagan and husband Mike Fagan of Spruce Pine, and Oklahoma City; her sister, Billie Silvers of Spruce Pine; her sister-in-law, Virginia Howard and husband Jimmy of Augusta, Georgia; her sister-in-law, Linda Tule and husband Lynn of Cincinnati, Ohio; her granddaughters, Jessy, Jasmine, and Jordan; and her great-granddaughters, Rose and Adriana; her niece, Debbie Boone of Oklahoma City and many beloved nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life service will be held in Spruce Pine in July 2022.
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