Obituary of Francis D. Dolezal

Francis Dale Dolezal left to join our Lord Jesus Christ on Saturday, April 25, 2020. He was a resident of Coburg Village at the time of his death. Although his first name was Francis, he was mostly referred to as, “Dale” which he called his “street name” by his family and friends. He was 90 years old.

Dale was born and raised in Wahoo, Nebraska. He attended St. Wenceslaus School for grades K-8 and Wahoo High School from 1943-1947. In high school, Dale played football and basketball and lettered in both sports. He also played the clarinet in orchestra, band, and marching band.

After his high school graduation in May 1947, he joined the US Navy and was assigned to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station for boot camp and for subsequent training as an Electronics Technician. He was then assigned to duty on a newly commissioned light cruiser, the USS Roanoke. The Roanoke served with the 6th Fleet before and during the Korean War. In October of 1951, Dale was honorably discharged from the Navy and went to work for the Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murry Hill, NJ as a Technical Assistant to a physicist doing basic research experiments with rare gas discharges.

In 1952, Dale met a beautiful young girl, Sheila Walsh, and they began dating. Sheila was attending St. Elizabeth College at the time. In the fall of 1953, Dale entered Rutgers University to obtain a degree in Electrical Engineering. In June of 1954, Sheila graduated from St. Elizabeth College with her degree and Dale and Sheila were married. For the next 3 years they lived in campus housing while Dale obtained his engineering degree. Upon graduation in 1957, Dale was offered an engineering position with the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) in Niskayuna, NY so they moved to Glenville, NY.

For 36 years at KAPL, Dale held several Project Engineering positions and management positions at the Knolls and Kesselring sites. In addition, he periodically traveled to naval shipyards such as Puget Sound, Electric Boat in Groton, CT, and Norfolk Naval Shipyard to assist with special maintenance operations and tests on nuclear submarines and surface ships.

Dale retired in January of 1994. He spent time playing golf and traveling with Sheila and his family to winter resorts, Italy, and to visit friends. He also volunteered time with Meals on Wheels and a prison ministry called, Residents Encounter Christ (REC), which spends 2 weekends each year in NY State prisons. He also periodically read stories to Kindergarten and first grade children at Stevens Elementary school (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake CSD) as a Mystery Reader. He played parts in many of the annual plays put on by the BH-BL Children’s Theater. He also had parts in 3 plays by the Schenectady Civic Players.

Dale is predeceased by his parents Emil and Frances Dolezal, his sister Rosemary Shanahan, and his son Gregory Dale Dolezal.

Dale is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sheila Walsh Dolezal of Glenville, his son E. Thomas Dolezal of Scotia, his daughters Laura McCoig (Jim) of Glen Allen, VA, Patty Neumann (Gary) of Burnt Hills, and Marydale Leonard (Michael) of Laguna Niguel, CA., his grandchildren: Melinda Dolezal, Robert E. Dolezal (Annie), Alisha A. Flannery (Patrick), Austin McCoig, Phillip Neumann (Sarah Buck), Heather (Trey) McCoig-Tarr, Christine Neumann, Molly McCoig, David Dolezal, Danielle Neumann, Samuel McCoig, Thomas Leonard, and Grace Leonard; and his great granddaughters Ruth-Ellen Dolezal and Olivia Flannery.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 21^st  10AM at the Church of Immaculate Conception in Glenville. Full military honors will be bestowed following Mass at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest with his beloved wife of 67 years, Sheila.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Dale’s name may be made to Birthright of Schenectady, 12 Jay Street, Suite 1, Schenectady, NY 12305.