ARTHUR "DALE" ANDERSON

It is with heavy hearts we announce the sudden passing of our Husband and father, Arthur “Dale” Anderson on January 28th, 2021. Dale is predeceased by his parents Wallace and Mae as well as his brother Lorne (Sandra). Dale leaves behind his loving wife Rae and sons Cole and Carlen. He also leaves his siblings Brenda (Warren), Cynthia (Charlie), Diana (Norm), Dana (Cheryl), and Donald (Tammy). as well as countless nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Arthur “Dale” was born November 14th 1955 at the Grace Hospital in Winnipeg, the third oldest of 7 children. Raised primarily in Balmoral, Manitoba he would later graduate from Stonewall Collegiate in 1973. He would eventually settle in Winnipeg where in 1980 he would meet his wife Rae (née Matthews) at Uptown Lanes. In 1984 at St Bartholomew’s Church they would say “I do,” starting a marriage that would last until Dale’s passing. In 1993 they welcomed their first son Cole and in 1996, bought their family home in St Vital which they still live in today. That larger house was needed as in 1997 they would welcome their second child, a boy they named Carlen.

Dale had a few jobs in his lifetime starting at Don’s Auto in Stonewall. Dale spent the majority of his working life in the Manitoba trucking industry spending time at Westrans, Fort Garry Industries and Fleet Brake. During that time Dale would make many lifelong friends and connections that were with him until the very end.

Later in life Dale would come to find a calling he hadn’t seen coming years prior, becoming a school bus driver for the Louis Riel School Division. This would be something that would bring Dale joy every day, giving him something to laugh about and tell great stories. Dale had always loved children but now with his own kids grown adults, becoming a bus driver seemed fitting. He would always go above and beyond to make sure the kids made it home safely and had become a respected driver amongst his coworkers. At the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, Dale was proud to say he had a permanent route and his own brand new bus! Being someone who had always appreciated and took care of his vehicles, this new bus was another thing that made him proud.

After receiving his Class 2 license, in addition to working for the school division, he would also occasionally work during Winnipeg Blue Bomber games and even got the chance to work the NFL game when it was here! Being the cool bus driver for weddings and socials was also something that gave him some fun stories, some where he wished he might have been a few decades younger to fully appreciate!

Dale was a big sports fan, cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the current Winnipeg Jets (not the old ones he always specified). While he never got to see his Leafs or Jets win a cup outside of the Leafs when he was 12, seeing the Bombers win the Grey Cup in 2019 was something that he had long waited for and was happy to have seen happen.

As a person Dale was one of the most caring, thoughtful people you could encounter. While he had his moments and was known for his lack of patience (patience was for doctors after all) he would always come back around and become the life of the party. Known for his wicked sense of humour and sarcasm, he would leave a lasting impression on anyone he met. After having kids he would often embrace his weird dad persona, his sons’ friends getting to know him as the cool dad, offering drinks and making sure they always had a place to stay the night.

Early on in their relationship, Rae and Dale would spend a lot of their summers camping together. They started with small trips in and around Manitoba with their tent trailer but as they got older, plans for a family formed and a bigger vehicle and trailer was needed. While the truck happened in the early 1990s, the trailer wouldn’t appear until 2004. Together, they would take many trips with this trailer from Drumheller to the Blackhills to Lake Superior. In 2006 however, they took their first steps onto a plane as a family and travelled to Puerto Vallarta. This was a trip that Dale looked back on fondly and was something he was happy to have done with his boys. While they travelled as a family most often, Rae and Dale did get some alone time to travel and relax. The last trip they took together was with Dale’s brother (Donald) and wife (Tammy)  to Montego Bay, Jamaica in 2013. It was a trip they’d never forget. They always had plans to go to Hawaii, something the boys have vowed to make sure happens in the future.

As the boys grew older, the camping slowed down and him and Rae started to consider an idea they never considered before: parking the trailer in one spot and never moving it. A couple years after settling down at the Oasis Campground just north of Winnipeg, they bought their current trailer and turned it into their second home.

With his dog Raff, Dale would spend many summer nights by the fire enjoying the second home they had created at the Oasis with their newfound friends. Animals were incredibly important to Dale throughout his life. From childhood pets like his orange tabby Sunshine to his and Rae’s first cat Shoemuff; cats were a major part of Dale’s enjoyment of life. In 2011 the family welcomed their first dog, the aforementioned “cute mutt” Raff who they adopted from D’Arcys Arc. In June of 2020 the family welcomed two new kittens to their home, these two would bring joy and laughter to Dale every day, regardless of how he felt.

Dale was immensely proud of the men his sons had become and their educational accomplishments. He loved his home, especially his basement, spending many hours watching TV and sports on his big screen TV. With everyone stuck at home this past summer, Dale became more interested than ever in his backyard garden. He was able to plant peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and radishes and share them with his neighbours.

In this trying time we ask that any donations you’re willing to or able to give go to D’Arcy’s Arc Animal Shelter; a place that could really use them and provided Dale with his favourite furry son, Raff.

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ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Cremation & Life Celebrations

530 St. Mary Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

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