“Please don’t weep for me. I praise God for all that He has given me as I go to be with Him forever.”
We give thanks for the special man we all were blessed to have had in our lives. Miner Dale Hazen departed this earth on Dec. 18, having lived a full life, embracing the many adventures that came along his journey with family, friends and co-workers.
Beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. Dale was born Feb. 24, 1928, in Everett, Wash., and passed away at the age of 88 in Anacortes, Wash. In his later years, he had fought a valiant battle with Parkinson’s Disease and leukemia.
Dale was the only child of Oliver and Vivian Hazen. They lived in Burlington and later Renton where his father was superintendent of schools. During his growing-up years, he enjoyed the best of times, as one set of grandparents lived at Lake Chelan and the other at Birch Bay where he spent many happy days during vacations.
Dale graduated from Renton High School in 1946, and from the University of Washington in 1950 with a degree in business administration and marketing.
During these years, his extracurricular interest was with music. He played drums in the high school and the University of Washington marching bands and orchestras. Also, during this time he played in a small jazz combo on weekends. The group played for many dances in the Seattle and South Sound areas.
In 1949, he and Ann Ebsworth were married in Renton at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
After graduation from university, they moved to Eastern Washington where Dale pursued his career in the business side of the television industry. He worked his way up the ladder beginning with sales to sales manager to station manager and finally general manager and vice president of Cascade Broadcasting, which later became Retlaw Broadcasting, headquartered out of Yakima, which included three TV stations. He held this position for 17 years.
He was also very active in many civic endeavors. Dale served on the boards of CBS-TV affiliates, St. Elizabeth Hospital, United Way Drive, chairman and president, Rotary Club (Paul Harris Fellow) and many others in Yakima.
For 22 years, wonderful summer vacations were spent with Ann and their two children, Mary Ann and Don, during the first two weeks of August in Canada by Lake Okanogan near Westbank, where they made numerous friendships that were renewed each summer and have lasted all through those years and beyond.
He and Ann enjoyed playing tennis at the Yakima Tennis Club for many years. They also loved sailing their boat “Sunshine” in the San Juan Islands and beyond and later their trawler “Bravo.”
Husky football was of special interest. They held season tickets to the games for many years cheering on the team — win or lose.
Dale and Ann retired to Fidalgo Island in 1990 where they built their retirement home near Anacortes. It wasn’t too long before Dale became involved in serving on the San Juan Preservation Trust Board representing Fidalgo Island. He retired from that board after serving for 15 years.
During this time, he enjoyed painting and turned out many landscape paintings. He loved being “Dad” as well as “Granddaddy” and “Papa.” He and Ann made several trips exploring Europe and especially enjoyed cruising on small ships with University of Washington Alumni Travel groups. They have been very active in Grace By The Sea Anglican Church in Oak Harbor where Dale has served on the Vestry.
He and Ann have had an active and loving life. They recently celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary.
Dale is survived by his wife and best friend Ann as well as their two children and their spouses: Mary Ann (Wayne Bills) of Winston-Salem, N.C.; Don (Jeannine) Hazen of Dallas; by seven grandchildren, Kristen and Oliver Hazen and Katie, Jennifer, Andrea, David and Michael Bills; and two great-grandchildren, Annika and Sariah.
Dale was a gentleman and a man of great integrity. He will be missed by all, but memories of him will linger on in our hearts with fondness.
In lieu of flowers, Dale has requested that memorial donations be made in his honor to either the San Juan Preservation Trust at P.O. Box 327, Lopez Island, WA 98261 or Grace By The Sea Anglican Church, 540 S.E. Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA, 98277.
Funeral services and celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 29 at Grace By The Sea Anglican Church in Oak Harbor. Reception to follow at the church. Private family burial the following day.
Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel &Crematory, Inc., Anacortes and the San Juan Islands. To share a memory of Dale, please sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com
Hazen
