Edward Dale Floyd

Edward Dale Floyd of Nibley Utah passed peacefully shortly after noon on September 8th, 2022. Dale spent his final years battling kidney cancer. It is a common statement among cancer survivors to state "I beat cancer" because it was pushed into remission or removed from their body. Dale Floyd went toe to toe with this ailment, and while some may say he lost the fight, it would only be those who did not see him standing in the ring day after day. Cancer took a vertebra from his neck and Dale said it was "a little uncomfortable". Cancer hit him in his ribs and Dale got back up. Cancer tried to take him out at the knee and Dale stood and walked it off. Cancer showed up in his lungs and Dale fought to his last breath. The courage presented and honor with which he stood painted a clear picture of who the winner of this fight is.
Dale was born April 24th, 1950, to Willie Ophas Floyd and Eva Ann Taylor. He was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in central Florida. He has enjoyed serving in many different callings throughout his life especially those related to singing. He loved singing in the ward choir. Music was a big part of Dale's life beginning in his early years when his aunts and uncles would come to his parents’ home and they would break out their various musical instruments - guitar, harmonica, piano, etc. They would play and sing many nights. Dale played the Trombone and Sousaphone in the high school band and was part of a quartet band playing at parties and dances. He played guitar and harmonica on occasion, and he plinked out hymns on his piano. He especially loved singing at church. He wrote a few pieces of music recently that came to him in a dream - songs of love for his family, his spouse, and his savior.
Dale moved to Cache Valley the summer before his Senior Year to stay with his brother and finish his high school education at Sky View High in Smithfield. After graduation, Dale joined the Navy in 1969. His parents were beside themselves trying to figure out why he would do such a thing. With draft numbers being called out regularly, Dale knew that it was only a matter of time before the military would put him where they wanted him. By enlisting on his own terms, he was able to put himself into a position to avoid direct conflict. He served as an aircraft mechanic during 4 years of active duty. While stationed in Kingsville, Texas, working on the airstrip out of Alice, Dale met Carolyn Weaver during a Stake Dance. Sparks flew (in Dales eyes) and he began his courtship to win her heart. It was an uphill battle with her father, but his gentle charm won them all over. Dale's military service found him stationed in Lemoore, CA, and deployed on a battleship off the coast of the Philippines during the Vietnam War. Working as a mechanic, he was never in the action - as was his design.
During Dale's military service, most of his family moved from Florida to beautiful Cache Valley. Family was important to the Floyds, and they found reasons to spend time together. Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays were spent together even as their families grew. Summer vacations as an extended family were also a regular occurrence. Individual family units bought their own inflatable river boats for use on the Green and Snake Rivers. For 20 years or better, all the Floyd families visited and floated the Snake River in Wyoming during the month of July. August found the family camping on the east shore of Bear Lake. Family time was important to Dale and all the members of his extended family.
Dale liked to make things fun and quirky. He watched for ways to put his own spin on things, whether it be a project or a game, because "it's only a game." When others would brainstorm ideas with him, he would often respond with "there's two ways to skin a cat." He could easily bring a smile to people’s faces and raise the spirits of those around him - such as wearing a tinfoil hat in the rain because he left his raingear at home or performing some silly song for the cub scouts.
Following his military service, Dale worked with his father building houses. He worked at Pepperidge Farms putting together equipment - without the instructions. Yea - he's that good. Dale's employment includes Carpenter's Union; The Stark Co. - mechanic; American Commodities - truck and equipment repair; Morton Thiokol - electronic components; Miller Brothers - mechanic and welder; Ellis Equipment, Co. - mechanic and welder; National Equipment Services - mechanic and welder; The Handiest Man - welder and consultant. With the help of his good friend Gordon Zilles, he started and owned Floyd Fix & Fab until his retirement a few months ago. Dale was very mechanically minded and did not think twice about tearing into something to figure it out, fix it, and get it operational again. He loved what he did so much, he never really worked a day in his life.
Dale's career was long and varied, but his shifts between jobs and job types were never done to chase the dollar. Material things were not important to Dale. He did not have a lot of nice things - but he did make a lot of things nice. If something breaks, he will exhaust himself to repair it before he sought to replace. He would regularly invest in tools to build or repair, and many times those builds or repairs turned out better and more functional than what could have been purchased. Building and repairing was an integral part of what made him tick, but material things were not at the top of his list of what he wanted. Dale's focus and goal, even in his early adulthood, was toward building his eternal family. Dale and Carolyn started their family early so they could still be young when the kids were grown. He talked of this goal often - family is what is important. Eternal Family.
Dale Floyd was many things to this world: Mechanic, carpenter, welder, fabricator, farmer. To the ones that matter though, he was a comforting shoulder; a sounding board for an idea; a phone call away when something broke down. He was there for you when you needed someone. He was a friend. A cousin, a son, a brother. He was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather. A great man. Dale Floyd - a giant among men, an example of patience, virtue and love.
Dale is survived by his eternal companion Carolyn, his five children and their spouses: Glenn and Denice, Mark and Kris, Janet and Greg, Kevin and Cathryn, and Eric and Meghann, his sixteen grandchildren, his two great granddaughters, an older brother Lafaun, and the yet to be born of his line. Dale's legacy will live on in those of his family, his friends, and the loved ones he has touched through his exemplary life. He will be missed until we meet him in the next life.
Go Fund Me link: https://gofund.me/621fd233