Dale Rex Shumway passed away in the early morning hours of Thursday, January 23, 2025, at his home in Tempe, Arizona with his daughter Debra by his side. He was 94 years old. Dale was born at his parents’ farm/ranch in Taylor, Arizona on the 31st day of May, 1930. He was the fourth child and first son of V. Rex and Elizabeth Solomon Shumway. As a youth, his father counted on him to do a “man’s” work, and work Dale could do.
He attended Taylor Elementary School and Snowflake Union High School. After three semesters at Arizona State College, he was called to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Western Canadian Mission which included the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. After returning from Canada, he married Naoma Fuller of Tempe, AZ in the Arizona Temple on April 10, 1952. They had met when Dale was attending Arizona State, and Naoma was a senior at Tempe High School.
After their marriage, Dale attended Brigham Young University for one semester and then returned to Arizona State where in 1954 he graduated with a B.S. degree in Agronomy. From 1954 until the fall of 1960, he was employed by Producers Cotton Oil Company in Maricopa and in Avra Valley.
In the fall of 1960, at the age of 30 (with a wife and five young children to support) Dale enrolled in the University of Arizona College of Law and graduated in 1963. He was employed as an Assistant Attorney General and as a Special Assistant for the State of Arizona until 1974. In 1965 he joined with David K. Udall to form the law firm of Udall Shumway in Mesa, Arizona. He became a highly respected attorney and was admitted to practice before the State and Federal Courts in Arizona, the Circuit Courts in San Francisco and the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Claims and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
In July of 1970 until 1974 Dale had the honor of serving as Mayor of Tempe, Arizona. He was also elected to the Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (now the Central Arizona Project) and in 1983 was elected to serve as President of the Board.
Throughout his life, Dale’s love for his Savior Jesus Christ was exhibited by his commitment to serve in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a bishop, Mission President in the New York Rochester Mission, Regional Representative of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, director of the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors’ Center, ordinance worker and sealer in the Arizona Temple and Patriarch in the Tempe Arizona University Stake.
Dale was pre-deceased by his dear wife Naoma. He so appreciated the influence she had on him and their five children. At the time of her passing in October 2023, she and Dale had been married for 71 years. This last year without her was Dale’s hardest trial in life. Dale was also pre-deceased by his parents, Elizabeth & Rex Shumway, his siblings, Ann (George) Woods, Shirley (Carl) Cole, Drew Shumway, Peter (Loretta) Shumway, his brother-in-law Wesley Bowman, and his great-grandson Joseph Thompson
Dale is survived by his five children: Debra Ann (Fred) Woods, Dale Rex II (Diane), Carolyn Ama (Barry) Dickerson, Catherine (Don) Ralph, and Matthew Fuller (Julie), his daughter-in-law Pattie Shumway, 22 grandchildren, 63 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren.
In addition to the above posterity, Dale is survived by his sister Mary Bowman, his brother Lane (Marylin) Shumway, his sister-in-law Joan Shumway Turley, many nieces and nephews, and countless dear friends.
Services will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 10:00a.m. at the Tempe Stake Center, 2707 S. College Ave., Tempe, AZ 85252. There will be a viewing at 9:00 a.m. To view the service remotely, please subscribe to the Alameda Ward YouTube channel at this link: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsofthealamedaward3748
As per Dale’s request: “Please don’t bring flowers to my funeral. Save your money for whatever good causes you might have. Just come to my funeral and enjoy seeing each other.”
Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.
This obituary describes the life of a great man. We send condolences to all, especially our friends, Carolyn, Barry, & Lauren Dickerson.
We lost a great man, friend and mentor. Uncle Dale was always interested in us and our family. He will be missed. We have made a donation to the general missionary fund in honor of him. He loved the missionaries and teaching the gospel.
What a remarkable man and influence he was in my life. I have so many fond memories of time spent in his home hanging out with Carolyn and him as a leader in my youth at church. Sending love and comfort to the family.
What a great man with an enormous influence on so many people who loved him. Stuart and I appreciate the influence he had on us as our bishop when we got married. He gave such wise advice and we will always hold a special place in our hearts for him. We sure love his family and loved growing up with his children. Wonderful memories of a wonderful man and his beautiful family. We send heartfelt condolences to all.
Dear Carolyn and family,
Please accept our deepest condolence for your dear Papa and our dear respected friend.
We are with you all in this sad moment.
Let dear Dale’s soul rest in peace and family to treasure fond memories they have together.
What a sad moment for our family, this special and dear person left us!
Be with angels dear Mr Dale!
I’ll miss my Uncle Dale. When he first opened his law firm I used to visit him after my orthodontist appointment in the same building. I stayed with his family many times. They were all wonderful. I was in his ward when he was bishop at ASU. He always made me feel a little special. I saw and heard how the students loved him, and knew first hand that they had good reason; because he loved and served them.
I was able to visit him a week before he passed. He was all there mentally, but anxious to be finished. I’m sure there is a celebration on the other side for this great man.
Dear Carolyn and Family,
We’re thinking of you during this painful time.
We’d like to express our sincere condolences to you and your family for the loss of your father.
Irena