Born March 10, 1943, in Dover, NH, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Marie V. (Kelley) Baxter. She was the wife of LTC William L. Shade US Army Retired.Â
Upon graduation from high school, she attended St Joseph’s College in Maine and the Gibbs School in Boston, where she met her husband to whom she was married for 61 years. Thrust into life as the wife of an Army Officer for the first 21 years of marriage she over saw 14 moves in 21 years. During two of those years, she was alone with the children while Bill served two tours in Vietnam. While serving in several Army Posts in the US and in Germany she was the consummate volunteer, den mother, team mother of numerous basketball, baseball, soccer and football teams of three children and on numerous church committees. After the kids left home not content to slow down, she began a life in business. For years she worked with a retired Admiral in a Communications Association. She then went to General Dynamics and was involved in the move of that Headquarters from St Louis to Fairfax, Virginia. GD morphed into several companies with BAE systems being her last in a position as a Special Security Officer in Vienna, Virginia until she retired in 2003. Moving to Gettysburg in 2006 she worked as a volunteer in both the Prince of Peace and Gettysburg United Methodist Church. She organized several of the âdinner at sixâ dinners and the annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the less fortunate.Â
Dale was a member of Tomâs Creek Methodist in Church, Emmitsburg, MD. A most wonderful aspect of Dale life she never met a person she didnât say hello to, howâs your day or get into a conversation with. For this reason, she never made it through a grocery store in less than an hour even with two items on her list.Â
In addition to her husband, Dale is survived by her three children, William L. Shade, Jr., of Minneapolis, MN, Jeffrey M. Shade, of Sterling, VA, Heidi M. (Shade) Sheehan, of Round Hill, VA, four grandchildren, two great grandchildren, her sister, Colleen, V. Jalbert, and her brother, Charles E. Baxter, Jr. She was preceded in death by her two sisters, Marie A. McCarthy and Laura J. Baxter.Â
Funeral services/celebration of life for Dale will be held 10:30 AM, Friday, June 28, 2024, at Toms Creek United Methodist Church, 10926 Simmons Rd., Emmitsburg, MD with Rev. Michael Cantley officiating. The family will receive friends from 6-8 PM, Thursday evening, June 27, 2024, at the Monahan Funeral Home, 125 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, PA. Interment will be in the Arlington National Cemetery at a time to be determined. Online condolences may be made at monahanfuneralhome.com.Â
In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions be made in Daleâs name to Toms Creek UMC, 10926 Simmons Rd., Emmitsburg, M
This obituary was originally published here.