Mertin Dale McLain

November 23, 1924 - April 27, 2016

Mertin Dale McLain Obituary (Age 91) Resident of Liberty Lake, Washington, passed away on April 27, 2016 while receiving hospice care for cancer at the Riverview Assisted Living, Spokane, WA. Dale is survived by his two sons, Steven Allen McLain(Kim) and William Dale McLain(Anne); three grandchildren, Ryan McLain (Sarah), Michael and John McLain; two great-grandchildren, Bella and Ian McLain. He was preceded in death by his wife Gloria Rose and two granddaughters, Sara Ruthanne and Angels' Song McLain Our Beloved Dale was born November 23, 1924 in Reardan, Washington to, Marguerite Stites and Manford McLain. He was the youngest of four siblings, Raymond, Norman, Laurel and Ralph who all have preceded him in death. Dale did careful research of his family history going back to 1877 to gather information about them. He was very diligent in tracing the details of his family tree. Dale grew up on a farm in Reardan and in Sunnyside, Washington. He worked hard to help the family during the depression years. While his mother was suffering a broken leg, she would make artificial flowers at home for young Dale to sell for pennies on the streets. He learned much about work ethics and business practices from his mother, a registered nurse who cared for young unwed mothers, the elderly, a turkey farm, five children, made investments in real estate and helped anyone who was in need. Many homeless people came to her back door for something to eat. Dale attended Yakiama Valley Academy, a Christian high school. He later left college to join his older brothers, responding to the call to serve during World War II. He was an Army field medic and hospital corpsman on the Pacific island of Guam until the atomic bomb ended the struggle. Upon returning home, he was a man that stood tall and was most admired by his young niece, Harriet, who will never forget the feeling of pride when she saw him in uniform. During the late Forties and Fifties, Dale helped his mother operate two nursing homes in Spokane before federal funding existed for them. He also found the love of his life there, a young girl named Gloria, who caught his eye while she was working in the nursing home. Gloria was from a large family of twelve children and shouldered the role of leadership to help raise the younger ones. Gloria Rose James and Dale were married in August 1947 and developed a deep love that lasted. They both became devout Seventh-day Adventists and were committed to providing Christian educations for their two sons, Steve and Bill. To do this, Dale worked two or three jobs at a time, running a farm, working the nursing homes, working night shifts at Kaiser Aluminum factory, roofing houses, doing TV repair and even door to door sales. In 1964, Dale moved his family to Lewistown, Montana to establish a 100-bed nursing home, replacing the crumbling "Old Folks Home" with a new, modern long-term care facility. Dale was respected for his hard work and "always doing the right thing". Dale was a quiet man that meant what he said and said what he meant. He did not expect attention but people naturally respected him. In Montana he showed a softer side of himself by helping others who were in need. He was a more compassionate man and contributed to the Lewistown community and his church. He remodelled the church and even preached when the part time pastor could not come. Gloria was always by his side doing her best to help strangers, family and foster children. Dale loved fishing and hunting. In Montana, it was a hunter's paradise with abundant deer and elk that attracted many friends to join him every year in the great adventures. He also learned to fly, purchased a new Cesnna 182 and flew as far as California for the fun of it. Upon retirement, Dale followed his fishing passion to the Pacific Ocean to built a 50 foot commercial fishing boat, named it Gloria R and lived the dream, fishing for salmon. Dale and Gloria filled the retirement years with travels in RVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles. In 1988 they moved back to Coeur d'Alene to be close to family in Spokane. Dale remained strong in his fight with cancer. He survived a difficult surgery at the Mayo Clinic and later fought with leukemia after the death of Gloria. Dale never avoided difficult situations but pushed through them. When asked why he went through such a difficult surgery he said, "Mom will need me", and she did indeed need him at the end of her life. Dale's life is an inspiration to all that really knew him. A simple man, he stood for goals worth the effort to achieve. He was conservative with investments but willing to take risks for good outcomes for the people he cared for. He was not flashy but solid. He was a great example of the values of a passing era of Americans we should not loose. He is now at rest by Gloria's side in God's care. We will always remember, love and miss them both. Services will be held at 2:00 PM on May 14 at the Fairmount Memorial Park, 5200 W. Wellesley Ave, Spokane in the Sunset Chapel. A reception will follow the graveside service. Viewing will be held from 10AM to 5PM on May 12 and 13 at the Heritage Funeral Home, 508 N. Government Way, Spokane. � To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Mertin, please visit our Tree Store. Read more Events APR 27