William Dale Lambert, 88, affectionately known as Froggy, Foznoski, Turkey, Papa and Pops, left this world peacefully with his family all around him.
He was born July 12, 1937, in a house on Smith Creek in the mountains of West Virginia. His mother told him that she found him in a ditch beside the road. He was born to the late Leslie Bert Lambert and Evelyn Melvina Smith and was the sixth child of 11.
Mr. Lambert spent his childhood years running through fields barefoot and helping his mother with household chores. He and his siblings got into many shenanigans, and he loved to share stories about their early years growing up together.
When he was eight years old, he was baptized in a little creek up in the holler and was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which he was a faithful member for his entire life. When he was 19 years old, he served a full-time mission for the church in the Northwestern States Mission. He served part of his time in the Seattle, Washinton, area and fell in love with the Pacific Northwest.
Shortly after his mission he returned to Seattle, Washington, with $7 dollars in his pocket and a dream to go to college. He started out working a summer job to save some money for school but met his sweetheart and future bride along the way and made Seattle, Washington, his forever home.
He and his wife were sealed for time and all eternity on April 30, 1962, in the Salt Lake City Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. On their way home from the wedding, they got a flat tire and ended up sleeping in their car. His wife used her wedding gown to stay warm, and they ate pork and beans out of a can together.
Even though they started out with very little, he was industrious and worked hard to support his family. He attended the University of Washington and was a diehard Husky fan. His kids each took turns being treated to home football game dates with their dad. After devoting his talents to the fancy food industry for more than 20 years, he became a facilities maintenance manager and honed his skills as a handyman. There wasn’t really anything that he couldn’t fix. After retirement, he became a crossing guard in Northeast Seattle and loved to greet the children every day with a smile and a positive word.
He and his wife were married for 63 years and had six children together. He was an amazing dad and always put his family first. His children always knew that they were loved and cared for. His wife worked on Saturdays, so he took over the parenting duties, which included making fried potatoes for breakfast, laughing hysterically to Looney Toons, making a trip to the hardware store or dump, and asking who had turned off the game when he came inside from mowing the lawn.
He loved to garden and took great pride in planting beautiful flower beds each year. He and his wife enjoyed sitting out on a swinging bench, visiting with neighbors and just watching the birds and the bees and enjoying the view from their front yard. He loved nature and was particularly fond of scouting. He was a fun Scoutmaster and built a legacy of belonging and accomplishment for the young men that he mentored. Each of his four sons, three grandsons and one granddaughter all attained the rank of Eagle Scout, thanks to his encouragement and support.
He had a wonderful sense of humor, loved to tell jokes, and always had a smile on his face. He was very generous and went about doing good works and serving others with love and compassion. His AAA membership rescued many friends and family members on more than one occasion. His home also had an open-door policy and a welcoming environment. Many family members, friends and acquaintances took refuge there.
He loved the Lord, Jesus Christ and has many loved ones that were waiting for him on the other side of the veil.
He never forgot his humble beginnings or small-town roots. He often brought his family back home to his wild and wonderful West Virginia, to visit friends and family and to reconnect. He will always be remembered as a loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend to all who were privileged to know him.
Surviving are his loving wife, Bonnie; sisters, Madeline Hoover (Keith) and Mary Jane Santelli, and his six children, Michael Lambert (Scott), Suzanne Barrow (Clifford), Stephen Lambert (Janene), Sarah Lambert, Thomas Lambert (Kimberly), and Joseph Lambert. He loved his grandchildren and delighted in spending time with them and was always their biggest fan. His grandchildren are Ian Lambert (Florencia), Mackenzie Barrow (Emerson), Kellyn Shafer (Nathan), Caleb Barrow (Alyssa), Jacob Lambert, Kaitlin Fairow (Keegan), William & Allison Lambert. Great-grandchildren are Vida and Luca Lambert. Many nieces and nephews who loved Uncle Dale dearly survive.
He was also preceded in death by his sisters, Flossy, Rachel, Doris and Virginia Lee; brothers, Howard, Jerry, Cleo and Richard; and nieces and nephews, Peggy, Jimmy, David, Bill, Wendy, Dianne, Terry, Casey and Sherry.
A memorial service will be held to honor his life at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Seattle, Washington. Flowers may be sent to Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills Cemetery, 409 Filbert Rd, Lynnwood, WA 98036. Donations may be sent in his honor to Scouting America, PO Box 152079, Irving, TX. 75015-2079. Cards and condolences to family may be sent c/o Suzanne Barrow, 12419 51st Ave SE, Unit B, Everett, WA 98208.
