Dale Lawrence Soptelean, 55, of Canal Fulton, died suddenly Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. Born to parents, Betty and Larry Soptelean, on Jan. 14, 1969, Dale was raised in Jackson Township, OH.

As a child, Dale enjoyed visiting his Aunt Shyril and Uncle Les in Salt Fork, boating and slalom water skiing. He graduated in 1987 from Jackson High School, and enlisted in the US Navy, where, following basic training, he was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, FL. Dale proudly served aboard the USS Lexington, AVT-16, as a green shirt operating and maintaining the catapult launch system that launched the naval aircraft off the deck of the aircraft carrier. He served two years active duty and four more as a reservist. Dale also earned Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Akron.

He was loved first by his parents and then his sisters, Kerry and Kellie. Next, he met the love of his life, Tracie, his wife of 24 years, outside of an Akron Aeros game. They dated, fell in love and were married Oct. 14, 2000. With marrying Tracie, Dale gained a mother- and father-in-law, a sister-in-law and brothers-in-law along with all the aunts, uncles and cousins. Next came the nieces and nephews. Dale had fond memories of swimming at his mother's house, as Kellie was starting her family. Dale would toss her first son, Kyle, into the air and yelling, "Bookie." This was repeated over and over with each new niece or nephew. Each one was "Bookie, Bookie." His sense of humor led him to call them all "baby butt" and even tease them on birthdays saying, "cake, ice cream and choo-choo ride, too!"

Before long, Dale was over-joyed to become a father to Logan on Sept. 11, 2004, and to Luke on June 12, 2007. And yes, he was known on occasion to say, "Luke, I am your father." Dale was one proud dad. He was the perfect father to his boys, Logan and Luke, affectionately known as the "Sop Brothers." Dale gave his all raising and providing for the boys with Tracie as his partner. Always a humble man, he gave so much time to his boys every step of the way, in and out of sports. Dale was forever offering pre- and post-game talks for all the sports they played and adding lots of life lessons along the way. Dale was a true champion of his sons. They were a great source of pride to him and to Tracie, both on the field and off, especially as they've grown into young men finding their place in life.

If you knew Dale, you knew his passion for sports in general, but especially for those Northwest baseball, basketball and football teams. In his speech to Luke at his senior football banquet, Dale recently said, "You have ten adopted brothers for life." It was clear that Dale considered Logan and Luke's friends, AKA "the boys," as his adopted sons.

Dale enjoyed the outdoors and found peace visiting the property he owned in Southern Ohio. He spent time with Luke and Logan riding four wheelers, mowing the lawn, relaxing, enjoying the stocked pond and appreciating the scenery. To Dale it was the farm.

If Dale had a second love, it was his Baby Girl Stella - the dog he never wanted, but the one who completely stole his heart. You could often find Dale cuddled up with his 102-pound lapdog, and Stella wasn't shy of letting Tracie know the pecking order, muscling in to be near him.

Always up for an adventure, Dale loved taking trips with his family. Whether traveling to the beach in Siesta Key, where the family and good friends visited this past summer, or to the gorgeous waters of Stump Pass in Florida, or more recently up in the mountains of Vermont, Dale loved to search out the best places to visit. He'd occasionally bring home souvenirs like a beautiful coral he found in the ocean or a piece of granite from the Vermont trip with Logan, despite signs suggesting they NOT remove pieces of rock from the area.

On one memorable trip to the Outer Banks, Dale's sister Kerry helped put sunscreen on her husband Todd's back. Her efforts didn't quite do the job, and Todd ended up with a striped sunburn. Dale never got tired of jokingly warning the boys to avoid letting Aunt Kerry apply their sunscreen.

Dale never took his community for granted and loved a good tailgate before a Northwest football game. He appreciated their tribe, including the coaches, for lessons they taught the boys. He celebrated his kids, their teammates and their parents as much and as often as possible.

He worked for just shy of seven years at Diebold Nixdorf Corp. in North Canton, as an inventory analyst, and provided support to 567 physical security and ATM technicians across the country.

Dale will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. To quote one of Dale's favorite lines from the movie Gladiator, "I will see you again, but not yet."

Dale is survived by his wife, Tracie, their sons, Logan and Luke, his mother Betty Soptelean and two sisters. Also surviving are his mother-in-law Jolene (Ron) Dannemiller, his sister-in-law and many caring family members and friends who acted as family. He is preceded in death by his father, Larry Soptelean.

Visitation is Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, from 1:30 to 3:30 at Orchard Hill Church, 2545 W. Comet Rd., Clinton. Memorial Service will follow, starting promptly at 3:30. All are invited to a Celebration of Life at the SAM Center, 8101 Manchester Ave. NW, Canal Fulton, immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, monetary donations for the care of his children can be made to Swigart-Easterling Funeral Home.

Donations Are Requested To The Family