Traverse City - Dale William Marentette, 77, of Traverse City, Michigan, passed away peacefully at his home on October 28, 2024, with his children at his side.

Dale was born on March 25, 1947, in Royal Oak, Michigan, to Milton and Doris (Kennedy) Marentette. He grew up in the Mesick and Buckley areas. Dale graduated from Buckley High School in 1965. On October 25, 1966, Dale joined the U.S. Army, and he was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado. After two years of serving our country, achieving the rank of Sergeant, Dale was honorably discharged and returned to the Buckley area to start his family.

Dale began his career in sales working at Boughey's Bottling Company. He spent many years working as the manager of the Traverse City Sherwin Williams store. He worked for a brief time as an electrician with his nephew, Mark. Dale retired after working for many years as a manager of the Ace Hardware store in Acme, only to return to work and retire again in 2021.

Dale loved gardening, taking a lot of pride in the crops he grew. He canned his tomatoes and hot peppers to enjoy eating them year-round. He also enjoyed hunting, mostly to spend time with his brother and nephew. He liked napping with his loyal feline friend, Taffy, by his side. Dale had a sharp sense of humor and enjoyed visiting with friends and family. He was a hard worker and instilled a strong work ethic in his two children.

Dale is survived by his son, Dale (Maggie) of Aptos, California; daughter, Melissa (Chip) of Traverse City; five grandchildren, Carley, Sophia, Carson, Madeline, and Chloe; two sisters, Doris Congelliere of Boise, Idaho, Lucille (Halbert) Rhodes of Minco, Oklahoma; special nephew, Ray Marentette of Traverse City; and treasured friends, John Vetula and Rob Vetula of Traverse City. Dale is also survived by many special nieces, nephews, friends, and cat, Taffy. Dale will be remembered fondly and deeply missed by those who knew him.

Dale was preceded in death is father, Milton; mother, Doris; brothers Jack, Milton Jr, Robert, and Raymond; and sister Elsie Taylor.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, October 31, at 2:00 p.m. at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, with a funeral service including military honors to follow at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of Michigan or the Cherryland Humane Society in Dale's memory.