Dale Fjelsted died 28 October 2011 at his home in Raymond, WA. He was 78 years old.

Dale was born in Biwabik, MN on January 15, 1933 to Philip and Ester Fjelsted. He attended the University of Minnesota and Northwestern Prep School prior to receiving his Congressional appointment to the Academy from Minnesota. He graduated with the Class of ’56 on1 June 1956, a member of the 2nd Company. Upon graduation, he served in USS Macon (CA 132) homeport Boston and USS Cambria (APA-36) homeport Norfolk. He resigned from the Navy 1 June 1960.

Dale married the love of his life, the former Deva Dale of Seattle, WA, in Chicago, IL on February 9, 1957. They had first met at the Navy-Penn football game 2/c year and dated for the next two years in Annapolis.

After resigning from the Navy, Dale attended the University of Washington for two years earning BS degrees in both Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. He began his engineering career with IBM in Seattle.

Dale also worked for Weyerhaeuser in Cosmopolis, WA as an engineer. He later worked as Chief Engineer for Grays Harbor and Pacific County Public Utility Districts. His last position was Systems Engineer for the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Dale was an avid sailor and since leaving Minnesota he had always lived by the sea. When he retired in1995 he spent several years completing a 38 foot sailboat and sailing with his family on Puget Sound.

Dale is survived by Deva, his wife of 55 years, a son Carl Fjelsted, daughter-in-law Wendy Fjelsted, and grand-daughters Caitlin and Nicole of Whidbey Island, WA, a daughter Penny Fjelsted, and a grand-daughter Kelsey Baker of Raymond, WA, and a brother Robert of Wabasha, Minnesota.

In the Spring his family will scatter Dale’s ashes into Puget Sound from his sailboat.