The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

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Obituary: Dale Dyal: Veteran, mentor, CSUN icon

In an unusually quiet and unassuming manner during the week of August 27, Dale Dyal, interpreter, mentor and friend of CSUN, passed away in his sleep.

He blazed an indelible mark on peoples’ lives that they’re fortunate to have. Those who were close to Dale are grieving the loss of his kinship, compassion and playfulness.

Dale’s openness and willingness to share anything from his experiences in Vietnam as a young soldier to memories of his family gave the individuals he shared such stories with a unique perspective on an exceptional man.

He was a man of honesty, integrity, tenacity and love. He had a generosity of spirit that few possess. Never would he allow issues between himself and other people supersede caring about them as individuals.

Born to deaf parents, Dale had been an active member of the deaf community his entire life. He had been a board member for the Conference of Interpreter Trainers and an instructor of interpretation at Spartanburg Community College.

At CSUN, he worked for the National Center on Deafness for the past 10 years as an interpreter, mentor and was the beloved advisor for the Lambda Sigma Pi fraternity, where he’ll always be an honorary brother.

He was planning his retirement at the end of this year and was looking forward to moving back to Georgia to be close to his family. Additionally, Dale had been working on releasing a collection of his performance work on a DVD titled, “I’m a Blind,” which will now be released posthumously. He often boasted that he “felt like a star” when he returned from events with CODA International (Children of Deaf Adults, Inc.) because of the recognition he received for his acclaimed performances.

Many people would agree that he shined like a star with a smile that lit up his face, especially his eyes. Many will miss his presence on campus. The interpreters of CSUN and the National Center on Deafness (NCOD) have established a fund in order to collect donations to purchase a memorial bench with a commemorative plaque to create a permanent reminder of Dale on campus. Donations can be made at the NCOD on a continuing basis.

A memorial will be held by Lambda Sigma Pi, Alpha Sigma Theta, the DeafCSUNians, the National Center on Deafness and the Southern California Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and the Deaf Studies Association on Sept. 28 from 5-7 p.m. at the Lake View Terrace in the University Student Union.

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