Dale Lee Tryon (1935-2011)

TRYON, PETERSEN, STOKKE, STEVENS, WATSON, KRUSE

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 8/3/2012 at 04:56:38

From Adams & Soderstrum Funeral Home obituary, Story County, Iowa:

Dale Tryon

BORN: November 7, 1935

DIED: October 25, 2011

LOCATION: Ames, Iowa

Dale Lee Tryon, age 75 of Ames, died October 25, 2011 of cancer. Funeral services will be at First United Methodist Church in Ames, Iowa, on Monday, October 31, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. with the Rev. Fred Lewis officiating. Visitation will be from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. on October 30 at the First United Methodist Church, Ames, Iowa with graveside services at 3 p.m. at Merle Hay Memorial Cemetery, Glidden, Iowa.

Dale Lee Tryon was born November 7, 1935 in Defiance, Iowa, the third child of ten to Clarence and Dorothy Tryon. He lived in Ames since 1972. On August 26, 1956 he married the love of his life, Janet (Petersen) Tryon in Scranton, Iowa. To this union one daughter and three sons were born.

Athletics played a big part in his life. As a high school athlete, he played on three baseball teams that participated in state tournaments. As a freshman, Dale led the state tournament in hitting. In 1951, his Glidden baseball team finished 2nd in the state to Davenport Central. He turned down a chance to play professional baseball with the Baltimore Orioles. He was captain of the undefeated 1952 Glidden football team and made an All-State team. He was also captain of an outstanding high school basketball team and made all-conference. He graduated from Glidden High School in 1953. In college, he participated in football (starting as a halfback on both offense and defense) and was captain of the 1957 baseball team that finished 3rd in the nation. He also won several table-tennis tournaments. While in college he was President of the Buena Vista's Letterman's Club, and was a member of the Buena Vista student council. He graduated from Buena Vista College in 1957 and earned a Masters degree from Drake University in 1966.

After college, he taught and coached football at six different locations: Manson, Audubon, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, the University of Iowa, Ames, and Boone. In 1962 he was named Northwest Iowa Football Coach of the Year by the Sioux City Journal. In 1965 he was named Southwest Iowa Football Coach of the Year by the Omaha World Herald. In 1966 he was named the Des Moines Register Iowa High School Football Coach of the Year. He was named to the Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988. He authored the book "Coaching Tips" on how to become a successful coach in any sport in 1996. While coaching at Boone he was chosen to coach the Iowa High School All-Star Shrine football game. In 2005 he was inducted into the Cedar Rapids Kennedy Hall of Fame. His overall coaching record as head football coach was 147 wins and 63 losses. He also had several successful years as head baseball and track coach at the schools mentioned above.

Dale had many interests and hobbies. He sold real estate in Ames for 14 years. In 1979 he was selected as President of the Ames Board of Realtors. He also owned a baseball card shop on Main Street in Ames for seven years. He and his wife, Janet, traveled from coast to coast as a baseball card dealers, and attended many card shows. He was the "National Baseball Card-Flipping Champion," as well being the national runner-up. He was a board member of the Iowa Football Coaches Association, Ames Board of Realtors, and Ames/Story County Cyclone Club. He was also a member of Grid Iron Club and the First United Methodist Church. Dale and his wife, Janet both retired in 2000.

Family was extremely important to Dale. He always encouraged his children to participate in school and community activities. He coached Little League with his boys as participants. Dale and his wife played a lot of golf, including many golf tournaments and he was proud of his hole-in-one. Dale's motto was faith, family, football, and fun (in that order). He also enjoyed his coffee groups, going to movies, and sporting events, especially Ames High and Iowa State. He was an avid Cyclone fan and season ticket holder for 38 years.

He is survived by his wife Janet of 55 years: daughter, Jodie (Doug) Stokke of Story City; sons Danny (Connie) Tryon, Donald Tryon and David Tryon of Spirit Lake; four brothers, Gaylord (Sandy) Tryon of Des Moines, Jerry (Jerilyn) Tryon of Carroll, Dick Tryon of Nevada and Randy Tryon of Stanley, North Dakota; two sisters, Donna (Bruce) Stevens of Lake View, and Nancy (Warren) Watson of Elk Horn. Two granddaughters, Melody Stokke, Story City, and Katie Tryon, Spirit Lake, and one step-grandson, Aaron Kruse of Kansas City; three sisters-in-laws, Maxine (Ray) Tryon, Glidden, Sally (Bill) Tryon, Bella Vista, Arkansas, and Jan (Larry) Tryon, Ogden; one brother-in-law, Everitt (Terri) Petersen of Marion, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Dorothy Tryon and three brothers: Ray, of Iowa City, Bill of Flower Mound, Texas, and Larry of Ogden.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 6th and Kellogg, Ames, Iowa.

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