Obituary of Dale Charles Foote

Dale Charles Foote, age 76, of Bay City, Michigan, died peacefully at home of gliosarcoma on May 12, 2024.

He was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 5, 1947, to Charles and Lorraine (Koch) Foote.  Dale was baptized at Hope Lutheran Church in Detroit on October 3, 1948, and confirmed in his faith on May 20, 1962, at Peace Lutheran Church in Southfield. He attended Wylie E. Groves High School in Birmingham (Class of 1966). He earned his associate’s degree at Schoolcraft College in Livonia in 1968, before earning his bachelor’s degree at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti (Class of 1971).

Dale met his future wife, Donna Lynn Wiggins, at Schoolcraft College during their freshman year. Donna instantly fell head over heels for him, and by their third date, Dale knew she was The One. They were married on October 7, 1972, at Peace Lutheran Church in Southfield.

After graduating from college, Dale began working for Kmart Corporation, where he was a top performing store manager and district manager for his entire 34-year career. In the early years of their marriage, the couple moved several times as Dale was transferred from store to store. Their two daughters, Alison (Sumerix) and Erin (Bartels), were born in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1978 and 1980, respectively. After a few more moves, the family settled in Essexville, Michigan. After the girls were out of high school, Dale and Donna relocated to Bay City, where they have lived ever since.

Dale was a loving father-in-law to Gregory Sumerix and Zachary Bartels, and the proud “Gramps” to three beautiful and talented grandchildren: Annabel and Violet Sumerix, and Calvin Bartels.

An active member of Messiah Lutheran Church, Dale served in multiple capacities, counting money from offerings, as a member of the finance committee and the audit committee, and as church council president. He was also president of Appletree Farms Condo Association, built sets for the Bay City Players for several years, and served on the United Way agency review panel. More recently, he reviewed scholarship applications for the Bay Area Community Foundation.

A lifelong audiophile, Dale was a connoisseur of high-end stereo equipment. He could frequently be found listening to his favorite music at high volume with a Manhattan or martini in one hand and a cigar in the other. In reflecting on their life together, Dale’s wife remarked, “There was always music, all the time.”

Dale was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Foote and Lorraine (Koch) Foote.

He is survived by his loving wife, Donna (Wiggins) Foote; his daughters, Alison (Gregory) Sumerix and Erin (Zachary) Bartels; his grandchildren, Annabel and Violet Sumerix and Calvin Bartels; his brother, Gary (Carolyn) Foote; and his nephews, Nicholas (Amy), Anderson (Stephanie), and Mackenzie (Melissa).

Services are to be held at Messiah Lutheran Church, 501 S. Catherine Street, Bay City, MI, 48706 on Friday, May 17, 2024, at 11:00am, with visitation beginning at 10:00am. After the service there will be a short interment ceremony in the church courtyard, followed by a luncheon in the fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made in Dale’s memory to McLaren Hospice and Home Care Foundation, 1515 Cal Drive, Davison, MI 48423. You can donate online at https://www.mclaren.org/health-management-group/online-donation-mclaren-health-management-group.  To sign online guestbook, visit www.cremationsocietymidmi.com  Arrangements made with the Cremation Society of Mid Michigan.