Dale McAllister, 89

Dale McAllister, 89, of North Fort Myers, died on August 9, 2016.  Born on Sept. 5, 1926, in Joliet, Illinois, he was the son of Evalyn and Raymond McAllister.  Dale spent his youth in Joliet, graduating from Joliet Township High School in 1943.  He was honored to serve in the US Navy during World War II.  After the war, he completed both a Bachelor of Science and a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.  He began his legal career with New York Central Railroad. Subsequently, he worked for Hotpoint in Louisville, KY, before returning to Chicago to begin a career with General Electric as a labor relations lawyer.  In 1968 he transferred with GE to Electronics Park in Syracuse and established a residence  Skaneateles. He eventually retired as the head legal counsel at the Electronics Park facility in Syracuse.
He was a long time member of the Skaneateles community, raising his four children there.  Always interested in architecture, he often said that if he hadn’t gone to law school he would have studied to be an architect.  In 1975, he decided to explore this interest and purchased land along New Seneca Turnpike to develop homes.  Lucinda Drive and several other area homes were the result of this passion.
Dale was a very social and active man with many loyal, loving friends.  He had a fantastic sense of humor and a quick wit that was always ready with a joke.  He loved playing golf, especially at Skaneateles Country Club.  He was a warm and loving father who loved spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Dale is survived by his longtime companion Ruth Berry, and his four children, Mark (Diane), Lucy, Doug (Kathy), Julie Shepardson (Tim), and nine grandchildren; Emily, Erik, Tanner, Riley, Shelby, Olivia, Bradley, Rachael and Elsa.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Eugene.
Dale was laid to rest in Lakeview Cemetery on Aug. 29, 2016.