Richard Wayne DaLee

Richard Wayne DaLee was born in Upland, California in 1947 to Mary and Allen DaLee during a family vacation for Thanksgiving. Richard spent the first nine years of his life growing up in Grand Junction, Colorado. In 1959, his family moved to Montrose, Colorado where he graduated from Montrose High School in 1965. After graduation, Richard attended UCLA trade school where he obtained his professional license to be a certified dental technician prior to enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Serving four years in Southern California, Richard was assigned to the 3rd Marine Air Wing. During his time in the Navy, Richard met the love of his life, Bette Ann Simpson, at the local bowling alley where friendly competition grew in to life-long relationship. Richard and Bette married on February 14, 1970 in Lakeside, California. In 1972, the happy couple relocated to Montrose, Colorado where Richard worked alongside his father at DaLee Dental Lab. In 1988, Richard took over as owner of DaLee Dental Lab and worked there until he retired in 2019.

Richard was an active servant in the Montrose community for much of his life. He was a life-time member of the Elk’s club, he was a founding member of the local Kiwanis chapter, and he served nine years on Montrose County School Board including being the Board Secretary. Richard was most honored by the opportunity to lead the efforts to plan, fundraise, and build the new high school gym and baseball field lights. His desire was to ensure that his kids, and all the kids of the community, had the best facilities for their academic and extracurricular careers.

The pride and joy of Richard’s life was his daughter, Jenelle, and his son, Jason. He spent all his free time supporting them and watching them in their various sports, performances, and award ceremonies. He never missed the opportunity to spend time with his family as he felt that there was nothing more important in the world. This support of his kids carried over into Richard being the adoptive father to many of Jenelle and Jason’s friends. Known for being a great story and joke teller, Richard was best known by his friends and family as the one who would give the shirt off his back to help them. Simply, he was a man with a huge heart for people.

Richard is survived by his wife of 54 years Bette DaLee, his daughter and son-in-law Jenelle and Steve Adams, his son and daughter-in-law Jason and Christine DaLee, his grandchildren Raegan and Andrew Adams, and his siblings Donna Kunz and Ron DaLee. He was preceded in death by his parents. 

A Celebration of Life will be held in early Summer for family and close friends with details to come at a later date.