Howard Dale Himes

Howard Dale Himes, 82, died on February 26, 2022, at his home in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Full military services will be held at West Point Cemetery, date to be announced. Mr. Himes, lovingly known as Dale, was born November 6, 1939, in Riverside, New Jersey, to parents Howard Mitchell Himes and Sheila Margaret Barnikel Himes. While growing up in Hopewell, Dale achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at an early age, and played violin throughout high school. He graduated from West Point Academy in 1961, and was assigned as 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. At Fort Bragg, he received artillery and airborne training in preparation to become Captain of U.S. Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets. Dale was stationed in Okinawa before performing two tours in Vietnam. Upon leaving the military he earned his private pilot license and was enlisted by the CIA, where he worked for many years. Dale lived and travelled in Korea, the Philippines, and Israel before settling back in the United States, where he formed his own construction company. Dale was a collector of antiquities, a spinner of yarns, and a monumental flirt who readily made friends wherever he went. He loved fly-fishing and horseback riding, and enjoyed studying history and researching his Scottish lineage. He was also known to frequent the Kunkletown Pub for meals, libations, and good company. In recent years, he traveled to Scotland with his youngest daughter, and vacationed in Mendocino County, California, to spend cherished time with his daughters and granddaughter. Within a year Dale underwent open-heart surgery, treatment for prostate cancer, and a COVID-19 infection. He bravely weathered these ailments with a fighting spirit, and his adoring Labrador, Honey, close by his side. He is survived by siblings Sheila Graham (nee Himes) and David Mitchell Himes; daughters Jennifer Himes Natanzon, Rebecca Himes, and Lisa Anicia Samantha Himes; and granddaughter Saylor Emory Hull. Special gratitude is extended to Patty McLain, a dear friend and confidante, as well as neighbor Jennifer Stewart-King, whose abounding family has adopted Honey.