Dale Thomas Watson

Dale Thomas Watson, 61 of Moses Lake, passed away on Saturday, April 19, 2008, at his home in Moses Lake.

Dale was born on Dec. 7, 1946, in Vancouver, British Columbia to Tom and Irene Watson.

Dale moved from Vancouver at the age of 4 to Everett, Wash., where the family opened two taverns. The family moved to Moses Lake in 1954 after selling the taverns and opened the Ripple Tavern and later Sufferin Tom's Tavern on the Base.

In 1965 he graduated from Moses Lake High School and enlisted in the Army. He went to Boot Camp at Fort Ord, Calif., and was then stationed at Saigon, Vietnam where he stayed until June of 1967 at which time he was re-stationed to Fort Huachuca, Ariz., where he was honorably discharged in June of 1968.

After his military career, he enrolled in flight school, and the sheet metal working union and became a welder. However, his true calling was in the hospitality business and he eventually took over the Ripple Tavern from his parents.

In 1982 he married Donna Schaffer of Moses Lake and out of this union was born Travis and later Stephanie Watson.

He is survived by his children, Travis Watson of Snohomish, Wash., and Stephanie Watson of Everett, Wash., sister, Judy Diatelevi of Boston, Mass., as well as many other relatives in Boston, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Nova Scotia.

Dale will always be missed and carried the biggest heart a man could. He loved everybody and had many friends.

There will be a memorial in Dale's honor at the Ripple Tavern on Monday April 28 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.