GREENSBORO – Gardner Anders Dales, 79, a long-time Greensboro resident passed away peacefully on October 21, 2022, in Greensboro, surrounded by family and friends.
He was born on May 11, 1943, in Buffalo, N.Y., the son of the late Gardner and Ruth (Lindquist) Dales. Along with his sister, Judith, he grew up in Buffalo and spent summers at the family cottage on Caspian Lake in Greensboro. He was a gifted swimmer, earning a scholarship to attend Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. At Cornell he earned All-American honors in the 100m butterfly, was an officer of his fraternity Xi Phi and graduated in 1966 with a combined BS in Civil Engineering and MBA.
On June 18, 1966, he married the late Judy Boyd in Hardwick. They made their home and raised their two sons, Cameron and Christopher, in Mountain Lakes and Boonton Township, N.J. He began his career with the Exxon Chemical Corporation as a cost engineer in Florham Park, N.J.
Starting in 1970, the family took several overseas assignments related to his work, living in Wimbledon, England, as well as Munich and Cologne, Germany. He would remain with Exxon throughout his career, having been responsible for the development of several large construction projects around the world as well as leading important initiatives at the company’s research and development labs. He retired from Exxon Chemical after 34 years, having risen to the position of chief engineer, the highest-ranking technical position at the company. He is warmly remembered by his professional friends and coworkers as friendly, witty, and smart and he left a legacy at the company of engineering excellence brought to life through the many younger engineers he taught and mentored.
In 2002 Judy and Andy retired to Greensboro, where he oversaw the surveying and construction of their home on Craftsbury Road, overlooking the lake. He became very active in the Greensboro Community and in 2016 he received, along with Judy, the Greensboro Award for service to the community. He was a member and moderator of the Greensboro United Church of Christ, where he managed the budget and led several capital improvement projects for the church and associated buildings. He was the president of the board at the Greensboro Nursing Home where he oversaw improvements in care and expansion of the facility. He was active with the Greensboro Association and spent countless hours working on conservation projects aimed at preserving the environmental integrity of his beloved Caspian Lake. He pioneered the citizen scientist program of water quality monitoring with the Vermont Association of Lakes and developed some of the first programs in North America designed to prevent the spread of invasive species to our northern lakes. He was a sailor his entire life, actively competing in Vermont, New Jersey, and the Gulf Coast, winning local championships as well as representing his country in the senior Olympics. Andy will be missed by all who knew him for his steady leadership and loyal support of his family and the greater Greensboro Community.
Survivors include his two sons: Cameron and his wife, Kira, of Los Gatos, Calif., and Christopher and his wife, Tracy, of Minneapolis, Minn.; three grandchildren: Ryan, Trevor, and Adrienne Dales; a sister Judith Whitman of Shelburne and niece and nephew, Sarah and Marc Whitman.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m., on Monday, July 3, at the Greensboro United Church of Christ with the Rev. Ed Sunday-Winter officiating. An internet video link will be available for those unable to join the family in person and a Celebration of Life for both Andy and Judy will be conducted immediately following the service at their home in Greensboro.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Greensboro United Church of Christ, 165 Wilson Street, Greensboro, VT 05841, or to the Greensboro Nursing Home, 47 Maggie’s Pond Road, Greensboro, VT 05841.
Arrangements are in the care of Dian R. Holcomb of Northern Vermont Funeral Service, 60 Elm Street, Hardwick. Online condolences are welcomed at: northernvermontfuneralservice.com
