D. Dale Myers Jr.

Dale Myers, a retired industrial sales manager for BrassCraft and a proud Texan who made Novi, Michigan, his longtime home with his family, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, Jan. 3. He was 77. Born on June 5, 1945, in Baytown, Texas, to Dudley and Margaret Myers, Mr. Myers was a 1963 graduate of Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown. At 6-feet, 5-inches tall (or “5-foot-17,” as he liked to say), Mr. Myers was a natural athlete, playing on the varsity football team as an offensive lineman and working as a summer lifeguard. He also enjoyed being the tallest in the room at almost every gathering or event. Mr. Myers received a bachelor’s degree in business from then-Texas Technological College in 1968. He received an MBA at Webster College in St. Louis in 1976. In 1968, during the height of the Vietnam War, Mr. Myers joined the U.S. Navy and was stationed on a base in Hawaii -- where he met the love of his life, Margaret -- and would later be stationed on a base in Antarctica. It was there that he was able to travel to the South Pole, had a penguin break into his warehouse and spent the winter without the sun ever rising. Filled with wanderlust, Mr. Myers swore that he would never take a full-time job behind a desk. Following his four-year stint in the Navy, Mr. Myers began his career in industrial sales, which afforded him the opportunity to travel the country, often with Margaret; they would visit every state and nearly every Canadian Provence. Mr. Myers also loved international travel. His mission was to visit every continent; a cruise to Africa he booked for 2023 would have completed his goal. When not traveling, Mr. Myers and Margaret built a joyous life together. They settled in Novi in 1985 to raise their three children, sons Stephen and Stewart and daughter, Blythe, along with several dogs. Mr. Myers was a devoted father who was heavily involved in his children’s education, serving as president of the Novi Athletic Boosters and as a board member on the Novi Educational Foundation. He also helped with the Volunteers in Public Safety (VIPS) program to assist the Novi police and the community. He loved woodworking and would find any excuse to hole up in his shop. Through the years he built half of his and Margaret’s furniture, multiple pieces of furniture for their children, rubber band guns for their grandsons and either elaborate bowls or 3D tic-tac-toe boards for almost everyone else. Faith was an integral part of his life. An active member of Orchard Hills Baptist Church, Mr. Myers helped when his church merged with First Baptist of Novi to form Legacy Church. At Legacy Church, he served for years as a deacon and helped with the renovations and upgrades to the church building. Funny and gregarious, Mr. Myers always made time to help others. His generosity was as big as he was tall and his home was always open to those in need. Mr. Myers is survived by his wife of 53 years, Margaret, sons Stephen (Erin) Myers and Stewart Myers, daughter, Blythe Tipping; grandsons Isaac and Edmund Tipping and Nathaniel and Benjamin Myers; sister, Carole (Horace) McQueen, in addition to numerous sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Dudley and Margaret Myers, and son-in-law, Peter Tipping. A memorial gathering of family and friends is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, at the O'Brien/Sullivan Funeral Home, 41555 Grand River Ave. in Novi. Additional visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the funeral service begins at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12, at Legacy Church of Novi, 45301 West 11 Mile Road, Novi. Donations may be made to the Legacy Church of Novi or Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

D. Dale Myers Jr.

June 5, 1945 - January 3, 2023