Floyd Dale Rogers
April 25, 1943 – March 30, 2023
Dale Rogers was born in Whittier, California to Lorene Lois and Homer Rogers on Easter Sunday, April 25, 1943. He graduated from Parkway High School in St Louis County in 1961. During the Vietnam War, Dale was drafted and sent to Heidelberg where he was assigned to the 503rd Transportation Company. It was there in Heidelberg, Germany where he met Barbara, who was in her second year of traveling around the world.
After returning to St. Louis, Dale went on to earn a BA from the University of Missouri at St. Louis. He worked as a precision machinist for McDonnell Douglas where he crafted the housing of the “window” in one of the first capsule space shots (which we saw displayed at the Smithsonian Museum in DC.)
When Dale and his wife moved from St. Louis to Ocala, Florida in 1973, he accepted a teaching position at Howard Middle School. His wife became an elementary art teacher at Madison Street and Anthony Elementary Schools. She eventually transferred to Vanguard High while Dale was recruited for Forest High to teach History and spearhead a new drop-out prevention program, SEA-Cats.
Dale was an avid drag racer with his 1969 Vitamin C Orange 383 Road Runner which he bought new off the showroom floor. His lifelong dream of winning at a National Hot Rod Association event came to fruition in 2006 when he won his first “Wally” trophy (an extremely prestigious award named after Wally Parks, founder of NHRA) at the Cajun Nationals in New Orleans. He did it again, winning a 2nd Wally in 2007 at the Gatornationals in Gainesville. In 2006, Dale also set the official national record in C/S class at a speed of 120.77 MPH with an elapsed time of 11.04 seconds in the ¼ mile.
Dale was showcased in the national magazine, Mopar Action, in an article entitled ” Old Man and the C,” which referred to the C Class in NHRA that his Road Runner competed in.
Dale is survived by his wife of nearly 55 years, Barbara Murray Rogers and their two daughters Amy Lorene and Kristin Stephanie.
He is preceded in death by his mother Lorene Lois.
Barbara, Amy and Kristin wish to extend their love and gratitude to all.