Dale R. Tyree, Lt. Colonel, USAF (Retired)
September 11, 1933 – October 02, 2024

Dale Richard Tyree Obituary
Our beloved Father, Gramps, brother and friend Dale Richard Tyree passed away from age-related causes with family by his side on Oct. 2, 2024, at age 91. He was a jokester, fly rod builder and world-class pun artist who will be dearly missed. The best parts of both of our parents are reunited again.

Dale was born on Sept. 11, 1933, in Fountain Head, Tenn., and grew up in the Antioch and Gallatin area with most of his younger years exploring the countryside and working on his family farm and later as a teenager working in his family’s restaurant.

Dale attended Central High School, then East Nashville High School, and enlisted into the U.S. Air Force after graduation, attending AV Cadet training at Harlingen AFB in Texas to be trained as a flight navigator in his first steps to becoming a pilot.

Dale married Shirley Juanita Allen on June 19, 1957, in Nashville, Tenn., and they settled in Reno, Nev., on the Stead AFB, where they had their first daughter, Ruth Carolynne, in 1959. When Ruth was 3 months old, the young family was transferred to Okinawa, Japan, living there for three years until moving to Loring AFB in Limestone, Maine, where their next two children were born, Steven Richard in 1963 and Laura Katherine in 1965, and Dale was promoted to Captain. Dale used to joke that the summers in Maine were 3 days in July.

In early 1966, Dale was sent to Vietnam as a helicopter rescue pilot, with Shirley and their young children (a 6-year-old, toddler and infant!) moving back to Nashville to be near family and all their loving support while he was away. Dale received many medals during that tour of duty, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star, and was promoted to Major. He returned home in 1967, with the family then moving to Wichita Falls, Texas, where Dale began work as an Air Force helicopter pilot instructor. Dale would say that, in contrast to Maine, you could almost fry an egg on the sidewalk in the Texas heat.

In 1969 Dale volunteered to go to Vietnam for a second military tour as a helicopter pilot instructor to train others on rescue missions. He received a number of medals for his work there, including the Bronze Star. After returning stateside he moved with his family to Charleston AFB in South Carolina, where he was promoted to Lt. Colonel and lived until his retirement from the military in 1973, at which time the family moved back to Tennessee, settling in the Lascassas/Murfreesboro area.

Dale and Shirley bought land in southern Wilson County, built a house, and finished raising their children. Dale earned a teaching degree from Middle Tennessee State University and taught for a year before serving in management for a variety of businesses. He retired for good in 1994 at age 61, at which time he turned his full attention to his primary passion, building bamboo fly rods from scratch.

In 2020 Dale moved to Adams Place Senior Center. The close-knit community transformed him. Where before he had lived the quiet, solitary life of a widower, here he blossomed, making many friends amongst both residents and staff.

He is lovingly remembered by his children, Ruth Carolynne Tyree Erickson (Brian), Steven Richard Tyree (Kathleen), and Laura Katherine Tyree; his brother, Rodger Tyree; his grandchildren, Hannah May Tyree (Logan), Gayle Loren Tyree, Benjamin Will Hetzel (Angel), Katelyn Grace Erickson, and Brendan Paul Erickson; and his great-grandchildren, Anela Neveah Hetzel and Kayden William Hetzel, as well as numerous other relatives and friends.

He will also be dearly missed by staff and friends at Adams Place, and the Cumberland Transit’s fly fishing and rod-building group.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife of many years Shirley Juanita Allen Tyree; his parents William and Martha Tyree;, and his brother Wayne Tyree.

A celebration of life including a Military Honor Guard ceremony will be held at Adams Place at 1927 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro on Nov. 12 from 1-3 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF), a non-profit organization that uses fly fishing to help wounded, ill and injured veterans and active-duty military recover and rehabilitate. Donations can be made through https://projecthealingwaters.org or mailed to PHW at P.O. Box 695, La Plata, MD 20646, in memory of Dale Tyree.

And a special heartfelt thanks to Smith’s Family Funeral Services for all their support and excellent service.

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As a Captain, Dale R. Tyree served a tour in the Vietnam War as a HH-43F pilot with Det. 9, 38th ARRS in the 1965-1966-time frame.