John Dale Fooshee

John Dale Fooshee, 89, passed away on Monday, December 28, 2020, at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas. A native of Houston and the youngest of 4 children, Dale was born on August 3, 1931, to Samuel Jefferson Fooshee and Elizabeth Smith Fooshee. Dale played basketball at both Lamar High School (class of 1948) and Texas A&M. He later became a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity at the University of Texas in Austin. He came to faith in Christ at a Billy Graham Crusade in the early 1960s and was a founding member of Cypress Valley Bible Church in Marshall. He recently attended Highland Park Methodist Church in Dallas.

A lover of aviation, Dale served as a jet fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard in the 111th squadron in Houston and the 181st fighter squadron in Dallas during the 1950s. He flew the F-84 in gunner school, then the T-33 thereafter. Forever a daredevil, he took delight in breaking the sound barrier, giving private air shows, and even flying inverted under the Golden Gate Bridge.

He was an entrepreneur his entire life, with ventures in motor oil canning, real estate development, oil exploration, and working as a Shaklee sales leader for over 40 years. Dale was an avid reader, a novice fly fisherman, and a self-proclaimed "close enough-ist" who mastered the T.L.A.R. method (That Looks About Right). Dale will be remembered for his tremendous sense of humor and could be counted on to provide fun-loving tunes or quips to fit every situation. They were masterfully applied with perfect timing to the delight of his audience and often the saving of his skin.

Dale was a loving husband and father. He married Barbara Marie Wooten from Abilene, Texas, on November 24, 1956, and together for almost 56 years, the dynamic duo ran businesses and happily raised their 4 children across Texas in Abilene, Dallas, Midlothian, and Marshall. Three years after Barbara's death, Dale married Nancy Duncan Davison on December 17, 2015, with whom he spent his final years traveling and enjoying their many friends together.

He is preceded in death by his parents, siblings Anna Margaret Alexander, S.J. and J.B., wife Barbara, and son John Sterling Fooshee. Those left to cherish his memory and humor include his wife Nancy, children Drew Fooshee, Anne Clayton (Chris), Jennifer Elliott (Stewart), John Fooshee, Jr. (Lindsay), 9 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild, and many other beloved family and friends.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, January 15, 2021 at 1:00 PM at Pecan Grove Cemetery in McKinney, Texas. Contact Charles W. Smith & Sons Funeral Home for further information. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Laity Lodge Retreat Center at laitylodge.org. Memories and condolences may be shared on the "Memories of Dale Fooshee" Facebook group page.