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Dale Prediger
DALE JOSEPH PREDIGER
Iowa City
Dale Joseph Prediger, 85, of Iowa City, died peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, at Briarwood Health Care Center in Iowa City. Dale chose to be cremated. Services will be private. Instead of flowers, contributions can be made in his honor to Iowa City's Shelter House, CommUnity, (formerly the Iowa City Crisis Center) or the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. To share a thought, memory or condolence with his family, visit www.gayandciha.com.
Dale was born May 8, 1934, in Lenzburg, Ill., a small, coal-mining town. His father (Joseph) founded, supervised and worked at Golden Rule Coal Co. His mother, Leota Traut, was a teacher. His brother, Curt, was a teacher, counselor and coach in Michigan high schools.
After graduating from high school in 1952, Dale went to Southern Illinois University (SIU). In 1954, he joined the Army to obtain G.I. Bill benefits. He was stationed in Germany, as he requested. (Prediger means preacher in German.) When released from the Army, he returned to SIU to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree.
Dale was united in marriage to Kay Breidecker in 1958. They had two children, Ellen (Damir Spanjol) of Austin, Texas, and Kathy (Mike Conner) of Shueyville.
After obtaining a doctorate from the University of Missouri, Dale taught measurements and statistics at the University of Toledo. In 1970, Dale and Kay moved to Iowa City, where he worked at American College Testing (ACT) for more than 30 years. At ACT, Dale directed the development of ACT's career-relevant interest and ability measures, career planning services, Map of College Majors (MCM) and World-of-Work Map (WWM). Dale retired from ACT in 2002.
Dale had more than 100 publications (journal articles, book chapters, etc.) and he was on editorial boards for three career-related journals. In 1993-94, he was president of the Association for Assessment in Career Counseling. In 1998, he received the National Career Development Association's Eminent Career award "In recognition of his superb blend of theory, research, and their practical applications, which have helped millions find focus for career exploration."
Dale and Kay were active outdoors (hiking, canoeing and camping) and indoors (tennis and dancing). They regularly met with their lifelong friends (the "Pro/Cons") on dance floors, to play volleyball and to travel. Dale also was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Society.
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