Who I am and how I relate to the world has shifted with the death of my sweet husband, Dale. The obituary below was beautifully written by our daughter Jodie.
Goodnight, my love.
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Dale Davaz passed away on Oct. 9, 2026, at his home in Eugene, Oregon. He was 67.
Dale was born on May 10, 1959, in Spokane, Washington, to Don and Joany Davaz. He was soon joined by two younger brothers and lifelong buddies, Dennis and Daryl. His earliest memory was looking through a screen door at his first home in Oldtown, Idaho, before the family moved to Hamilton, Montana, then Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He graduated high school in Coeur d’Alene in 1977. He went on to earn degrees in political science and economics at the University of Idaho, then returned to Coeur d’Alene to pursue marketing and graphic design work. He joined the Catholic church in his mid-twenties and considered priesthood before he fell for the dazzling cantor, Margaret. He married Margaret in 1990 and adopted Kit and Julie in December 1991. Dale and Margaret had a third child, Jodie, in 1993.
Dale’s marketing, copywriting, and graphic design work morphed into a career at Spokane Teachers Credit Union, where he ultimately spent over 30 years in marketing, technology innovation, and data analysis. He co-founded an industry conference, CULytics, which focused on bringing credit unions of all sizes together to share the latest in financial technology. He ushered the credit union industry into the digital age as an early investor in online and mobile banking. In fact, back in the late 90s, Dale won a national award for the best credit union website — which Margaret watched him literally build pixel-by-pixel late into the night.
“Doctor Dale” was well-known among colleagues as an “idea guy” who would put forward 30 ideas at a time knowing only five would stick – but those five would be massive wins. He was also something of an enigma at work; as serious as his business was, he also liked to bake up dozens of mini muffins for meetings, drink his half-dozen daily coffees from a Hello Kitty mug, and challenge his colleagues to lunchtime Scrabble and foosball tournaments. The winners and losers would celebrate together over a lunch of spicy Thai food.
Dale nurtured other lifelong interests, as well. He left the church after being disillusioned by changes in policy that were more responsive to scandal in the clergy than to lay ministry, instead choosing the path of an atheist and secular humanist for the rest of his life. Despite this, he maintained a keen interest in early church history.
He loved to play foosball and tabletop roleplaying games with friends and family. He routinely met with his brothers, uncles, nephews, and lifetime friends for family poker nights that would stretch into the wee hours. He loved to put together a “wing-Wing” night, making delicious chicken wings to pair with marathon episodes of The West Wing. During quiet weekends, he and Margaret enjoyed doing “puzzles and podcasts” together.
Dale moved to Eugene, Oregon in 2019 at the end of his career. His lifelong interest in astronomy and astrophysics expressed itself in his retirement when he volunteered at the Eugene Science Center at the planetarium. He loved to inspire people to consider their place in the universe. He wrote a series of essays on astronomers, astronomical phenomena, and astrophysics – just for fun. His eldest, Kit, has combined the essays into a book that will be published in mid-November.
Dale was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2026 and died from the disease after nine months. He spent his last months recording his life story with his daughter Jodie. While his career was a point of pride for him, it was his love of family he meditated on most of all.
Dale is survived by his wife, Margaret; his children, Kit, Julie, and Jodie; his grandchildren, Melody, Annalee, Abigail, and Gabriel; and his brothers, Dennis and Daryl, and our sister-in-law Denise. We will remember Dale for his sharp intellect, clever humor, everlasting kindness, and generous spirit.
A celebration of life will be held next spring so family and friends can remember and share stories of his remarkable life. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Eugene Science Center.
