In 1979, Dale purchased his first computer, one of the original Radio Shack Model I personal computers with 16K of memory and a cassette tape drive to load programs into memory. At the time he was a real estate broker doing market analyses that required extensive mathematical calculations. He programmed the TRS-80 to do the calculations, reducing my manual calculation time from over four hours to 30 seconds. This was the beginning of his experience with computers.
Over the years, he transitioned from the original TRS-80 Model 1 to a Model III, then into a Tandy 2000, his first IBM PC compatible system, then to a succession of PC compatible systems. His PC experience led him into networking, accounting systems and database design. He developed a system for his construction business to produce pro formas and job estimates.
While Dale was working for Renda Chiddix Inc. in Santa Rosa, California, on the first work day of the new year, the principals called all office employees into a meeting to inform us that they had lost their contract with Safeway effective New Years Day and were closing the company immediately. This decision affected more than 30 office employees and multiple field employees. This was devastating to him but he soon learned that as a result of the layoff, he was eligible for vocational retraining through a program funded by the State of California. He received the training and became certified as a network administrator. This opened opportunities into the field of information technology.
Dale applied for and was hired by Sutter North Medical Foundation (SNMF) in Marysville, California, as a database analyst. His experience at SNMF taught him many new skills on both mini-computers, personal computers, and servers. He became proficient as a system administrator and database administrator.
When he learned that he had a potentially terminal health condition, he completed initial treatment for the disease in Santa Rosa, but decided to move back to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be close to his brother who would be able to settle his affairs in the event of his demise. After relocating to Albuquerque, he received a call from an unexpected source asking him to apply for a position as a database administrator with a contractor for the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE). He applied for the position, was interviewed the next day, received a job offer the following day and began the job the following Monday.
Although the disease had appeared to be in remission, it soon recurred and he continued his treatment in Albuquerque. His treatments continued until the disease again went into remission while he continued working at DOE. At DOE, he received training in network administration and became a network and system administrator for the site. He continued working for DOE until he retired.
After retiring to Houston, Texas, where living and housing costs were substantially lower than Albuquerque, he applied for and was hired by a contractor to Texas A & M University as a system administrator for project being developed by the university’s Department of Electrical Engineering Experiment Station for the Texas electric power industry. He continued working there until the contract was completed.