Dale Robert Stroup

Dale Robert Stroup, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle went home to be with his Heavenly Father on December 16, 2024 in Huntington Beach, CA. Dale was born at home in Mishawaka, IN on February 7, 1938, and grew up in South Bend IN, the son of Louis R. Stroup and Violet M. Stroup. His step-mother was Della Bunch Stroup. He graduated from Riley H.S. in 1956, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He attended Wheaton College where he was known as “Dale, the Toe, Stroup” because of his expertise as a kicker in football. He received a Business Management/Transportation from Tri-State University, where he was President of the National Defense Transportation Agency. He later received his B.S. from Indiana University in Business Management.

On June 20, 1959, Dale married Marcia Huffman Stroup, his H.S. sweetheart, and they shared 65 years of marriage plus five years of courtship. They raised two children, Stephen Dale (spouse: Jami McCallister), and Sonia Kay Stroup (deceased at age 16). His wife and he were very connected to their only grandchild, Braxli Katherine Rose.

Dale is survived by his son Stephen Stroup, his brothers William Stroup, John Stroup, Daniel Stroup, and sister-in-law Sue Burnham. His parents, stepmother, brothers, sister, and sister-in-law preceded him in death. Dale had many nieces and nephews he was fond of.

Dale worked for Shippers Dispatch Trucking Company. He was terminal manager in Bryan, Ohio, Sales and Marketing, Division Manager and Director of Human Resources. He moved to SLC where he worked for NW Transport as Manager of the SLC Transit Co. Later, he owned and developed a Ski/Snowboard business, called The Ski Connection. He loved the mountains and ocean and had an opportunity to live in each of these places. Dale and Marcia moved to CA for Marcia to take a position at Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. He graduated to heaven on Dec. 16th while living in Huntington Beach.

Dale was a charter member of Trinity Evangelical Free Church in South Bend where he served as Elder and Chairman of the Board. He also was an elder at Mt. Olympus Presbyterian Church in SLC, UT. Dale was a member of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in CA, serving as Chairman of Foreign Missions in Eastern Europe. Dale and Marcia participated in teaching missions (Marriage Enrichment) in Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Serbia, and Nairobi, Kenya on multiple occasions.

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 27, 2024 one hour before the memorial service at Trinity Evangelical Free Church, 61770 Miami Rd. in South Bend IN, 46614. Visitation will be at 12:00pm and the service at 1:00pm in the Huffman Memorial Prayer Chapel in the church with Dr. Jonathan Burnham officiating. Burial will follow in Plymouth, IN with Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home at Oakhill Cemetery.