Dale Louis Acton, 77, of Clive passed away from Alzheimer’s Disease on May 20, 2026 at Story Point in Urbandale with his wife and daughters by his side.

Dale was born in Windom, Minnesota on September 22, 1948 to Louis and Daynie Acton. He was the youngest of 3 children. He spent his entire childhood in Windom and once he graduated from Windom High School, he attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. He graduated in 1969 with a degree in Business Administration. It was here where he met his wife, Doris.                                                                    

Dale and Doris fell in love and were married in Golden Valley, Minnesota in 1973. In 1976, they welcomed their first daughter Kirsten Marie. Five years later, their second daughter, Alison Lea, was born. Dale loved being a dad and took the role of ‘girl dad’ very seriously. He worked hard in the financial services industry to provide the best life he could for his family, of which he succeeded. Dale played a very active role in their lives and attended as many horse shows, soccer, and volleyball games as he could. We always remember hearing his voice from the sidelines.

Dale loved to travel and take his family on many adventures. From various places in the United States, to the Caribbean, and even Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, he thrived on making memories with the people that mattered most to him, his family. Once retired, Dale and Doris would travel to the national parks or take riverboat cruises in Europe or wherever the wind would take them. He was always up for something new.

He had a very special gift of working with people. He was very kind natured, outgoing, and would talk to anybody. He also loved giving back to his community. His favorite place to volunteer was WayPoint Resources (formerly Waukee Area Christian Services). He made many connections to the other volunteers and looked forward to his Thursday shifts. He also enjoyed making beds for Sleep in Heavenly Peace. As an avid animal lover, he also enjoyed making donations to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

Dale was a skilled craftsman and could conquer any project. He built a dollhouse from scratch for his daughter, Kirsten, and a tack trunk for his other daughter, Alison. It was often joked about within the family that his second job was as a handyman for his daughters.

Amidst all of his hobbies, nothing brought him more joy than being a grandfather to FIVE boys. While it was quite an adjustment from raising two daughters, he quickly pivoted and settled into grandparent life with boys. He loved being a part of their lives and attended every birthday, holiday, or any other celebration there was. You could often find him cheering from the sidelines of their various sports, something that will be greatly missed in his absence. Dale loved traveling with his grandsons and most memorable was an all family Alaskan cruise. So many memories made with those he loved most.

Dale is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Doris, daughters Kirsten (Shannon) Rourke, Alison (Jon) Wallenburg, grandsons Braden, Cameron, Keegan, Kellan, and Ty, his sister Pat Simila, and his beloved dog Ryder.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Daynie (Toll) Acton, sister Sandra Englehard, and his precious dogs Gladys, Cassie, Sebastian, Lucy, and Cooper.

We would like to thank the staff of Story Point in Urbandale for the exceptional care they provided and to Midwest Hospice, specifically Chelsey and Jamie, for the kindness and compassion you provided to our father (and us) in the most difficult of times. We are forever grateful!

A visitation will be held at 10:00 AM, followed by a Celebration of Life service at 11:00 AM on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. Donations can be made to WayPoint Resources or the Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Dale’s memory.