Dale Paul Holzboog died at Careage of Whidbey in Coupeville on Oct. 9, 2015, at the age of 88.

He was born March 7, 1927, in El Segundo, Calif., to Carl and Katherine Holzboog. He was raised in El Segundo.

In 1944, after graduating high school at the age of 17, he enlisted in the Merchant Marines, serving in the transport of military goods and prisoners-of-war in the Pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean war zones.

Returning to Los Angeles between ships in December 1945, Dale eloped with his sweetheart Marie Braun to Tijuana, Mexico. After making one more deployment, Dale left the Merchant Marines in March 1946, and began a lifelong career with Standard Oil of California at the El Segundo refinery, working as a heavy equipment operator and fire fighter.

Dale and Marie were married in St. Anthony Catholic Church in July 1946. They settled in El Segundo, built their first home and started their family. As an accomplished trumpet and French horn player, Dale was a member of the local orchestra/band, performing in concerts around the Los Angeles area. The family loved the concerts in the park during the summer.

In June 1959, Dale transferred to the Standard Oil plant in Seattle, where he began work as a tanker driver. The family settled in Kent, where he pursued his passion of caring for his family and being outdoors fishing, hunting, gardening and raising animals. He was known as the guy on the hill who raised pigs. Everyone who knew him gave him reproductions of pigs and his pig collection grew.

Dale retired in 1983 from Chevron. In 1989, Dale and Marie moved to Anacortes. In 1999, Dale and Marie purchased a home in Oak Harbor, where he remained until his death.

Dale was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church of Oak Harbor, was a past member of the Orchestra/Band of El Segundo and a member of the Merchant Marine Society.

Dale is survived by his wife Marie T. Holzboog; three children, Dale Holzboog Jr. and wife Evalee of Oak Harbor; Claudia Lambert and husband Bill of Beaverton, Ore.; and David Holzboog and wife Claudia Bowers of Bellevue; seven grandchildren, Dale Holzboog III of Hanford, Calif., Carl Holzboog of Seattle, Erika Larson of Seattle, Paul Lambert, Sean Lambert and Stephanie Lambert of Beaverton, Ore., and James Lambert of Buhl, Idaho; and great-grandchildren, Brock and Brianna Holzboog of Hanford, Calif., and Samantha Holzboog of Stoney Plain, Alberta, Canada.

Funeral mass for Dale Holzboog will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at St. Augustine Catholic Church with Rev. Paul Pluth as celebrant. The rosary will be said at 9:30 a.m. immediately before the mass. A reception will follow at Wallin Funeral Home for family and friends. Cremation was held with family interment at Hood River, Ore. Please visit Dale’s page in the Book of Memories hosted at www.wallinfuneralhome.com