Our dear friend Dale has passed on, his genuine warmth and kind spirit are deeply missed. Dale was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Edward and Bettie Berteau Carmody and spent much of his early life in Plaquemine, Louisiana. He cherished and celebrated his deep Cajun roots throughout his life, churning out piquant jambalayas regularly. In Dale’s high school years, his family moved to Lake Jackson, Texas where he attended Brazoswood High School. He later moved to Austin, Texas where he attended the very fine University of Texas. He did a 10-year stint in Chicago working in programming, finally returning to Austin where he lived out his life. Through these years, he made lifelong friends who profoundly love him to this day. As one of these friends so clearly stated, “Dale was THE kindest most thoughtful person in my life.” Here, here! We all feel that way.

Dale was a brightly burning spark with jocular wit and joie de vivre. He played multiple musical instruments, interpreting Frank Zappa and Alan Holdsworth beautifully. He was a prolific reader and researcher. He never found a library he didn’t like; he was a regular fixture at the Austin History Center; and he’d gladly show you every used bookstore in town. Being extraordinarily well-versed in Texas history, particularly its inherent scoundrels, no one could provide a more entertaining, authentic tour of the Texas Capitol than Dale. His genealogical research yielded 89,506 entries into Wikitree alone. His ongoing project was indexing the families in East Ascension Parish, Louisiana. While digging through the roots of his family tree, Dale found and befriended distant cousins still living in France. So, he became fluent in French, visited his relatives regularly, and developed a special fondness for all things French – the authors, the movies, and most of all, the French people.

Was he a UT fan? You bet! He found watching football with his compatriots irresistible, and no matter the score, the game was always better if Dale was at your side. He had a sophisticated humor that could go delightfully mischievous when the situation warranted. Whether at a derelict sports bar or a swank art museum, Dale approached his experiences with honesty, humor and always with kindness.

He lived his life simply and altruistically. He gave blood as often as medically allowed, including when he traveled to other countries, he grew his hair to donate to cancer patients, and he volunteered as a tutor at the Texas School for the Blind for years. He believed completely and unabashedly in human rights for everyone and was vocal about those beliefs. Dale was a faithful friend and a loving man who was tremendously good to others, and he is missed very much.

Donations can be made in Dale’s name to Locks of Love or the Austin Public Library.

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