DALE A. NEUMAN
Dale Allen Neuman, 86, Blue Hill, ME, passed away September 18, 2022, at Ross Manor (where he had recently gone for in-patient physical therapy) in Bangor, ME. Dale had been relatively healthy and quite vigorous—seeming much younger than his years—but in early June several underlying health conditions caught up with him at once. Dale spent the summer in the hospital, getting excellent care, his family with him daily. He fought hard to recover and return to his family, his friends, and his home in Blue Hill, and his release from the hospital in September was a sign that he was getting stronger. However, in spite of his best efforts, his underlying health conditions proved too much. He passed in his sleep after telling his nurses that he was “going to Heaven.”
A second-generation American, Dale was born May 20, 1936, in Elyria, OH, a suburb of Cleveland. Dale’s paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century from what is today Slovakia. Dale’s mom, Mabel, and dad, Joe, were not well off (Dale recalled fishing for crawdads and hunting squirrel to eat while his dad worked two jobs to make ends meet), but their standard of living improved when Joe became a policeman. As a child, Dale overcame some health issues, and he fondly recalled spending time with his cousins and other family, rooting for Ohio State’s and Cleveland’s sports teams, playing with his pet groundhog, Woody, and meeting all kinds of people while working odd jobs.
Dale earned his undergraduate degree in 1958 from Kenyon College in Gambier, OH. He met and married his wife of 56 years, Dona King, at Northwestern University in 1961, and earned his PhD in Political Science in 1964. Dona and Dale chose upstate New York to begin their teaching careers. A specialist in American presidential politics and Harry S. Truman, Dale was on the faculty of the University of Rochester before accepting a job as Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Missouri, Kansas City in 1966. Dona joined him in Kansas City in 1967, and in 1968 their daughter Lisa was born. While Dona taught sociology at Avila College (now University), Dale earned promotion and tenure at UMKC, eventually serving as chair of the political science department, as interim chair of the School of Social Work, as an associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as a special assistant to the University of Missouri System president, and as the director of the Harry S. Truman Center for Governmental Affairs. His views on local and national politics were often sought out by the media, especially during election season. He enjoyed working with students who became Harry Truman Bootstrap Scholarship Interns and worked in Washington D.C. Dale also assisted Dona with Avila’s Elderhostel program for a number of summers, teaching retirees about Harry Truman and Kansas-Missouri politics. Always active, Dale did not fully retire until he was 81 years old.
One of Dale’s longtime passions was singing, and he was a longtime member of SPEBSQSA, the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. In 1972, Dale joined the 130-plus member Kansas City Chapter of SPEBSQSA (known as the “Heart of America”), serving as its president in 1977 and 1995, one of only a handful of people to hold that position twice. He was named “Barbershopper of the Year” in 1981 and sang tenor in the Crosstown Four, the first Senior Quartet Champions in 1989 from the five-state Central States District. He also sang lead and baritone if needed. Always wanting to make a difference, Dale spent many hours with his blind friend and fellow barbershop singer, Jim, helping him learn staging, gestures, and timing for their competitions and shows. In recent years, Dale continued to connect to barbershop in Kansas City over Zoom from Maine, actively following his friends in the New Harmony Handful.
When his wife Dona passed away in 2017, Dale moved to Blue Hill, ME to be closer to daughter Lisa and her family. There he discovered a new home in Blue Hill, made many new and dear friends, and brought his love of life and sense of humor to his retirement community, Parker Ridge. In his retirement, Dale loved spending time with his grandson Zane, watching cross country and track events, listening to trombone performances, and driving to Boston to see the Red Sox (especially when they were playing the KC Royals). An avid sports fan and former athlete, he followed his beloved childhood teams as well as Kansas City and Northwestern football, the University of Kansas and Duke basketball, and the Royals, of course. He loved animals, computers, photography, and music, and in his 80s Dale performed in the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Maine’s annual musical productions of HMS Pinafore (2018) and Iolanthe (2019). He also performed in musical groups at Parker Ridge and in Blue Hill. A poet, Dale is the author of two chapbooks: Reflections (2012) and Observations (2013). He also served as the editor of Life on the Hill, the Parker Ridge newsletter. Residents at Parker Ridge were treated to Dale’s video presentations each month on travel, music, and how things are made, all courtesy of his professorial spirit. And if anyone had a tech issue with a computer, phone, TV or printer, Dale could often solve it!
Dale was preceded in death by his wife, Dona (King) Neuman, father Joseph Neuman, mother Mabel (Hendrixson) Neuman, and brother Robert Neuman. Dale is survived by daughter Lisa Neuman, son-in-law Jeff Roggenbuck, and grandson Zane Neuman Roggenbuck of Greenfield Township, ME; brother-in-law Wayne King (Gloria) of Delores, CO; sister-in-law Beverley Neuman of North Ridgeville, OH; nephews Donald King (Tina) of Colorado Springs, CO, Ronald King of Riverside, CA, and Brian Neuman of Newton Falls, OH; nieces Carolyn King Woodward (Jon) of Florence, AZ, Christine Woodford (Larry) of Fontana, CA, Jan Rustenhoven (Craig) of Palm Coast, FL, and Beth Krosky (Ken) of Avon, OH; many cousins, grandnieces, and grandnephews throughout the U.S.; and dear friend Marilyn Brossmer (Blue Hill, ME).
Dale loved living. Always eager to lend a hand, Dale treated everyone with dignity and respect. He taught us all to be smart, be informed, be kind, and be there for one another. He was loved tremendously and will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
Burial will be private in Greenfield Township, ME. A remembrance and celebration of Dale’s life will be held in Blue Hill on October 16 at 1:30pm. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ0qRMfMHIb4SPR8GWJ7Vbg
Memorial contributions (including food and clothing drop offs) may be made to the Tree of Life Food Pantry and TurnStyle Thrift Shop at 23 South Street in Blue Hill (PO Box 1329 Blue Hill, ME 04614, www.treeoflifepantry.org).
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Dale Neuman, please visit our flower store.
Dale Allen Neuman, 86, Blue Hill, ME, passed away September 18, 2022, at Ross Manor (where he had recently gone for in-patient physical therapy) in Bangor, ME. Dale had been relatively healthy and quite vigorous—seeming much younger than his years—but in early June several underlying health conditions caught up with him at once. Dale spent the summer in the hospital, getting excellent care, his family with him daily. He fought hard to recover and return to his family, his friends, and his home in Blue Hill, and his release from the hospital in September was a sign that he was getting stronger. However, in spite of his best efforts, his underlying health conditions proved too much. He passed in his sleep after telling his nurses that he was “going to Heaven.”
A second-generation American, Dale was born May 20, 1936, in Elyria, OH, a suburb of Cleveland. Dale’s paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century from what is today Slovakia. Dale’s mom, Mabel, and dad, Joe, were not well off (Dale recalled fishing for crawdads and hunting squirrel to eat while his dad worked two jobs to make ends meet), but their standard of living improved when Joe became a policeman. As a child, Dale overcame some health issues, and he fondly recalled spending time with his cousins and other family, rooting for Ohio State’s and Cleveland’s sports teams, playing with his pet groundhog, Woody, and meeting all kinds of people while working odd jobs.
Dale earned his undergraduate degree in 1958 from Kenyon College in Gambier, OH. He met and married his wife of 56 years, Dona King, at Northwestern University in 1961, and earned his PhD in Political Science in 1964. Dona and Dale chose upstate New York to begin their teaching careers. A specialist in American presidential politics and Harry S. Truman, Dale was on the faculty of the University of Rochester before accepting a job as Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Missouri, Kansas City in 1966. Dona joined him in Kansas City in 1967, and in 1968 their daughter Lisa was born. While Dona taught sociology at Avila College (now University), Dale earned promotion and tenure at UMKC, eventually serving as chair of the political science department, as interim chair of the School of Social Work, as an associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as a special assistant to the University of Missouri System president, and as the director of the Harry S. Truman Center for Governmental Affairs. His views on local and national politics were often sought out by the media, especially during election season. He enjoyed working with students who became Harry Truman Bootstrap Scholarship Interns and worked in Washington D.C. Dale also assisted Dona with Avila’s Elderhostel program for a number of summers, teaching retirees about Harry Truman and Kansas-Missouri politics. Always active, Dale did not fully retire until he was 81 years old.
One of Dale’s longtime passions was singing, and he was a longtime member of SPEBSQSA, the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. In 1972, Dale joined the 130-plus member Kansas City Chapter of SPEBSQSA (known as the “Heart of America”), serving as its president in 1977 and 1995, one of only a handful of people to hold that position twice. He was named “Barbershopper of the Year” in 1981 and sang tenor in the Crosstown Four, the first Senior Quartet Champions in 1989 from the five-state Central States District. He also sang lead and baritone if needed. Always wanting to make a difference, Dale spent many hours with his blind friend and fellow barbershop singer, Jim, helping him learn staging, gestures, and timing for their competitions and shows. In recent years, Dale continued to connect to barbershop in Kansas City over Zoom from Maine, actively following his friends in the New Harmony Handful.
When his wife Dona passed away in 2017, Dale moved to Blue Hill, ME to be closer to daughter Lisa and her family. There he discovered a new home in Blue Hill, made many new and dear friends, and brought his love of life and sense of humor to his retirement community, Parker Ridge. In his retirement, Dale loved spending time with his grandson Zane, watching cross country and track events, listening to trombone performances, and driving to Boston to see the Red Sox (especially when they were playing the KC Royals). An avid sports fan and former athlete, he followed his beloved childhood teams as well as Kansas City and Northwestern football, the University of Kansas and Duke basketball, and the Royals, of course. He loved animals, computers, photography, and music, and in his 80s Dale performed in the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Maine’s annual musical productions of HMS Pinafore (2018) and Iolanthe (2019). He also performed in musical groups at Parker Ridge and in Blue Hill. A poet, Dale is the author of two chapbooks: Reflections (2012) and Observations (2013). He also served as the editor of Life on the Hill, the Parker Ridge newsletter. Residents at Parker Ridge were treated to Dale’s video presentations each month on travel, music, and how things are made, all courtesy of his professorial spirit. And if anyone had a tech issue with a computer, phone, TV or printer, Dale could often solve it!
Dale was preceded in death by his wife, Dona (King) Neuman, father Joseph Neuman, mother Mabel (Hendrixson) Neuman, and brother Robert Neuman. Dale is survived by daughter Lisa Neuman, son-in-law Jeff Roggenbuck, and grandson Zane Neuman Roggenbuck of Greenfield Township, ME; brother-in-law Wayne King (Gloria) of Delores, CO; sister-in-law Beverley Neuman of North Ridgeville, OH; nephews Donald King (Tina) of Colorado Springs, CO, Ronald King of Riverside, CA, and Brian Neuman of Newton Falls, OH; nieces Carolyn King Woodward (Jon) of Florence, AZ, Christine Woodford (Larry) of Fontana, CA, Jan Rustenhoven (Craig) of Palm Coast, FL, and Beth Krosky (Ken) of Avon, OH; many cousins, grandnieces, and grandnephews throughout the U.S.; and dear friend Marilyn Brossmer (Blue Hill, ME).
Dale loved living. Always eager to lend a hand, Dale treated everyone with dignity and respect. He taught us all to be smart, be informed, be kind, and be there for one another. He was loved tremendously and will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
Burial will be private in Greenfield Township, ME. A remembrance and celebration of Dale’s life will be held in Blue Hill on October 16 at 1:30pm. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ0qRMfMHIb4SPR8GWJ7Vbg
Memorial contributions (including food and clothing drop offs) may be made to the Tree of Life Food Pantry and TurnStyle Thrift Shop at 23 South Street in Blue Hill (PO Box 1329 Blue Hill, ME 04614, www.treeoflifepantry.org).
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