Dale L. Ashley, 74, of South Bend, passed away on Monday August 10, 2020 at Memorial Hospital, South Bend. He was born on July 16, 1946, in South Bend, to the late Warren and Aletha (Walters) Ashley and was a lifelong area resident. On July 19, 1969 he married Michelle Lenora Ottman, who preceded him in death on December 1, 2007. He is survived by his daughter, Renee (Tracy) Thompson, his son, Aaron (Jennifer) Ashley; two grandchildren, Trevor and Braydon Ashley, who were his pride and joy; three sisters, Connie (Tom) Kio, Joan Blackford and RaeAnn (Don) Chupp, all of South Bend; and a brother, Donald Ashley of MI. Also, in recent years, he spent much of his time with his significant other, Marilyn Plank. Dale worked for the St. Joseph County Highway Department as a mechanic for 33 years, before retiring from there in 2008. He also was a farmer his entire life. Dale was proud to have served in the United States Army in the Vietnam War. He enjoyed spending time with his family, fishing, going out to eat, and passing down his knowledge of mechanics to his sons and grandsons. His love for his animals was evident as he cared for them immensely. They included his cat, Kitty; his grand-pets, Dezel, Layla, Edna and Earl; and his 9 pet goats. For the last 20 years, he worked tirelessly in the fall along side his family on his farm, Ashley's Pumpkin Farm. He cherished this time with his kids and grandchildren. He gained much enjoyment and fulfillment from all of the families feeding his pet goats and visiting his farm year after year. As he would say, "10-4, love you, bye." A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday August 15, 2020 at the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Dr., South Bend, where friends may visit with the family one hour prior to the service. Memorial contributions may be made to Izaak Walton League or Riverbend Cancer Services. To send online condolences, please visit www.kaniewski.com.
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