Dale Oldham

Dale was a proud Army veteran who served from March 18, 1968, until Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, 1969. He served in Cuchi, Vietnam for one year as a radio-teletype operator for the 269th Aviation Battalion. Dale was a 1977 graduate of Southern Baptist College (now Williams Baptist University), and a 1980 graduate of Arkansas State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management. He worked part-time for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission during the summer while he was in college.

Early in his career, Dale hauled heavy equipment for the AGFC construction crew. In 1994, he became the Area Manager as a Wildlife Biologist on the Shirey Bay-Rainey Brake Wildlife Management Area. In 2013, he retired from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission after 20 years of dedicated service. Dale was passionate about the outdoors and wildlife conservation.

Dale loved the Lord and his family. He was a dedicated and loving husband, dad, pawpaw, brother, uncle and friend. He loved spending time with his family, reading the Bible, working on his farm, hunting, fishing, gardening, watching and photographing wildlife, camping and listening to music. Dale had many God given talents and could build anything from houses to swing sets for his grandkids. He had a keen mind for solving problems and could fix anything from vehicles to home repairs. He had a huge heart and would do anything he could to help someone in need. This was evident by his decision to be an organ donor.

Dale was preceded in death by his son, Jeffry Dale Oldham; his parents; sister, Sharon Oldham; and brother, Bill Oldham.

Dale is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Connie, of the home; daughters, Kristy (Mitch) Whitmire of Smithville, and Kim Andrews of Walnut Ridge; sister, Helen (Dorthern) Johnson of Walnut Ridge; brothers, Mickey (Bernie) Oldham of Rockford, Ill., and Don (Kay) Oldham of Stillman Valley, Ill.; grandchildren, Truman Oldham, Shelby (Cody) Taylor, Cody Whitmire, Sarah (Garrett) Owens, Hannah (Gunner) Cook, Rachel Whitmire, Katie Whitmire, Sophia Whitmire, Tyler Andrews, Hayden Andrews and Savannah Andrews; great-grandchildren, Ben Owens and Henry Taylor; mother-in-law, Viola Ferguson, sister-in-law, Bonnie (Dallas) Hawkins, brothers-in-law, Rick Beckmeier and Mick Beckmeier, sister-in-law, Darlene Oldham, and many other family and friends.

The visitation is today, May 10, from 5-7 p.m. at Cox Funeral Home in Walnut Ridge. A celebration of his life will follow immediately at 7 p.m. with Jeremy Hopper officiating.

A graveside service will be held at Old Lebanon Cemetery in Lynn on Thursday, May 11, at 10 a.m., with Jerry Pentecost officiating. Interment will be under the direction of Cox Funeral Home of Walnut Ridge.

Honored to serve as pallbearers are Tyler Andrews, Hayden Andrews, Cody Whitmire, Truman Oldham, Tom Gawf and Terrence Teel. Honorary pallbearers are Cody Taylor, Garrett Owens, Gunner Cook, and Dale’s Arkansas Game and Fish Commission co-workers.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the NEA Food Bank.