Dale was born on Feb. 23, 1918, in Parsons the second of two sons to Charles and Maude Foore Gribben. His father emigrated from Belfast, Ireland, as a steam fitter and worked for the Union Pacific and Katy railroads before founding Gribben Motors in Parsons in 1918.
Dale graduated from Parsons High School in 1935. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in chemical engineering in 1939. That time began his 75-plus years as a raving Kansas Jayhawk sports fan for which he served as chairman of the Southeast Kansas University Alumni Association and the KU Development Committee and a member of the KU Williams Endowment Fund.
Following graduation, Dale worked for Sheffield Steel and Phillips Petroleum, both in Kansas City, until 1948. He met his wife, Louise Josephine Brockelman, an airline hostess for TWA, in 1944, and they married on Jan. 20, 1945, at Linwood Methodist Church in Kansas City, Mo. They moved to Parsons in 1948, when he joined his retiring father in the auto dealer business selling Buicks and other General Motors brands.
Upon returning to his hometown, Dale became very active in the business community and civic affairs, serving as president of the Parsons Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club and chairman of the Parsons Industrial Development Fund. Professionally, in his nearly 30 years in the automobile business, he was president of the local new car dealers association, served on the board of directors of the Kansas Motor Car Dealers and was a member of the Buick and Pontiac National Motor Car Dealers Council. In retirement, Dale continued his lifelong love of his daily golf game and many travels with Louise and friends. They were members of Parsons Wesley United Methodist Church.
In 2006, they moved to Boise to be closer to their children.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Louise; a son, Gary, and his wife, Virginia, of Boise; a daughter, Patricia of Oakland, Calif; and a grandson, Matthew, and his fiancee, Haley Knowlton, of Santa Clara, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his parents and an older brother, Jack.
At Dale’s request, there will be no public memorial service. There will be an informal open house at the home of Gary and Ginny Gribben, 2263 Bluestem Lane, Boise. Friends are welcome to join the family in remembering and celebrating his life from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday.
Memorials may be made to the American Red Cross and may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.
Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
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