Dale D. Matics, formerly of Amsterdam, passed away peacefully at Centreville Village in Carrollton on Monday evening, April 13, 2026.

Dale was born Nov. 29, 1935, the eldest son of Jarrett and Tillie (Peterson) Matics. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Evelyn, Nancy and Larry.

A graduate of Carrollton High School, he met the love of his life, Betty Jane Pepperling, at the Carroll County Fair in 1955. Their meeting was the foundation of a remarkable love story. They married June 9, 1956. He was excited to celebrate their 70th anniversary together, but he will miss their special day by less than two months.

The couple was blessed with three sons, Jeff (Diane), Jerry and Joe (Diane); one daughter, Laurie (Chris) Shepherd; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. The family all knew him as “Pap Dale.”

Dale was a simple man with no desire for fancy things. He liked meat and potatoes, cheeseburgers and vanilla milkshakes. He was a hard worker and dedicated 34 years of his work life to TIMET in Toronto, rarely missing a day of work. In his younger years, he was active in the Amsterdam Moose Lodge, Amsterdam Hot Stove Baseball League and the Amsterdam Volunteer Fire Department. His work ethic left an impression on his children and all who knew him.

He had a lifelong fascination with anything on wheels, finding joy in racing and remaining a huge NASCAR fan. If a race was on TV, he was watching, rarely missing a chance to follow the sport he loved. As a young man, he ran the strip at Magnolia and had a room full of trophies he was proud of. He was also an avid coin collector. He was a man of few words but had a penchant for quips and sayings that will be repeated for years, such as, “When it snows like meal, it snows a great deal.”

Dale was a strong, principled man who believed deeply in the importance of standing up for what you believe in and protecting those you love. He remained active and healthy until 2020, when he had open-heart surgery. Since that time, he suffered many health setbacks, and his heart was further broken by the Alzheimer’s diagnosis of his son, Jerry.

Dale will be lovingly thought of every day by his “two girls,” whom he adored — his loving wife and caring daughter, who were at his side for every setback and hospital stay, one on each side of his bed holding a hand. He also deeply loved his son-in-law, Chris, who tended to his needs and treated him as his own father.

In accordance with his wishes, cremation has taken place and no formal service will be held. He will be honored by family at a later date.