Dale Crosby

Dale Crosby was born in Confluence, Pennsylvania, on July 16, 1942, to the late Millard William Crosby and Dorothy Rosalie (Compton) Crosby. They lived in Glencoe, Pennsylvania, with their four children. Dale's siblings are (eldest) Iskle Crosby (d. Mary Crosby), Ray Crosby (Cindy Crosby), and younger sister, Mavis Madara (d. William Madara). His family nicknamed him "Bing or Bingy" after Bing Crosby.

Dale grew up in the countryside of western Pennsylvania in Somerset County. He left high school after 11th grade to enlist in the Army Reserve, where he became a welder and was stationed in Germany. He fixed military trucks and always had stories to share about his time in Germany and the German words he learned. While serving, he obtained his high school GED. He served 3 years and was honorably discharged in 1965.

Dale came to Rockville, MD, in the 1960’s seeking work with a friend from the Army and he lived in a rented room in Silver Spring, MD. He found a job in gardening, but it did not pay much, so he thought of seeking a different career. After trying different paths, including going to school in DC for a couple of years until the riots broke out, eventually, he settled on a career in construction. Dale learned home improvements and started his own business – RCM Home Improvements. Dale was a strong-willed, hard-working man.

In 1967, Dale met Gloria Castillo from Nicaragua on the day she arrived in the United States and he was smitten at first sight. On their first date, Dale took Gloria to a fancy restaurant and they shared a big steak dinner. They dated for a year and were married on May 11, 1968 at Saint Bernadette Catholic Church in Silver Spring, MD. In January 1970, they bought their first house in Hyattsville, MD and had their first child Helen Marie in April. In June 1971, Michael Dale was born, and in March 1973, they welcomed their third child, James William. Dale started remodeling the family’s house and added more bedrooms to the upper floor which was originally an attic, and 2 bathrooms. He constructed a new kitchen, and the old kitchen area became a dining room. He added an enclosed porch and built himself a weightlifting room because he loved to exercise. He renovated the entire house for his growing family. The house was his pride and joy, and he talked about his work on the house to whoever would listen. Over the years, Dale wrote songs, loved Rock and Roll and Country music, especially Elvis. He loved singing like Johnny Cash and did a great job impersonating him. He enjoyed reading about history.

Over the years, he collected a lot of memorabilia and had a vast collection of records and books. Dale was a family man and welcomed everyone in his home. He treated his nieces and nephews like his own children. He loved sports, was a big fan of the Washington football team and welcomed the team’s new name, Commanders. He was also a big hockey and baseball fan and followed every home team in the Washington Metropolitan area but because of his Pennsylvania roots he also loved the Pittsburgh Steelers. He enjoyed the many things life had to offer.

On July 22, 2022, at 80 years old, Dale Crosby entered his eternal rest and went to be with our Lord. He is survived by his wife Gloria of 54 years, his children, and daughter-in-laws Karen (Ennis) Crosby and Pamela (Fernandez) Crosby. He has 5 grandchildren - Brenden, Jordan, Jenna, Rosalie, and Colin. Dale was truly adored by his family and friends and will be deeply missed.

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