Michael Dalton

MICHAEL STEVEN DALTON

West Branch

Michael Steven Dalton, 71, of West Branch, formerly of Carroll, died Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, in West Branch. His body was donated to the University of Iowa Department of Anatomy.

A memorial celebration will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, at the Ned Ashton House, 820 Park Rd., Iowa City.

Surviving are his wife, Sheila; daughters, Angela (Dennis) Jordan and Ann Bagchi; son, Matthew (Natasha) Dalton; brothers, Mark and Barry Dalton, and their spouses; sister, Mary Bontrager; several Hurley sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; grandchildren, Ben and Nick Schmucker, Alex and Mackenzie Jordan, Nishika Bagchi and Gabriel Garcia and Inikka, Zander and Mira Dalton; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, Connie and Cecilia Hurley; brothers-in-law, Dennis and Michael Hurley and Dick Bontrager; and an infant brother, Kelly Dalton

Michael was the son of Wilbert F. Dalton and Florentine Dalton Pickett. He was born March 26, 1946, in Carroll, Iowa. He graduated from Regina High School in 1964 and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1969.

On Aug. 12, 1967, he married Sheila Ann Hurley at St. Patrick's Church in Iowa City. They celebrated 50 years of marriage in August 2017 with a trip to Ireland.

Michael was very proud of his military service in the U.S. Air Force and the Nebraska Air National Guard. He held other veterans in great esteem and especially those who served in World War II, including his father's service in the U.S. Coast Guard, his Dalton uncles' service and his father-in-law's service in the U.S. Navy.

After graduating from Iowa, Michael joined the U.S. Air Force and spent six years on active duty as a KC-135 navigator during the Vietnam War. At age 40, he joined the Nebraska Air National Guard and flew the RF-4C Phantom as a "back-seater" which was one of the great joys of his life. He served in the war in Kosovo during that time. He retired from military service as a lieutenant colonel in 2002.

Michael was a residential construction contractor and built many homes in the Iowa City/West Branch area. He also was an avid bicyclist who rode his bike every day. He completed his 12th Door County (Wis.) Century Ride in September 2017.

Memorial donations may be made to Iowa Public Radio, Iowa Public Television or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Thank you to the West Branch EMTs and the person who found Mike on the Hoover Nature Trail.