Loren Dale Hesley, 85, passed peacefully on to a better, perfect place on Friday, September 25th, 2026, at the family home on Cherry Avenue near Kewadin. 

Dale was born February 3rd, 1941 in Traverse City, Michigan to Paul Robert & Grace Julia (Christensen) Hesley. Shortly after his birth they moved to Michigan City, Indiana to be near his mothers’ family, the Christensen’s. 

They moved back to the Kewadin area sometime before 1950 where his father joined in working on the family farm. Dale grew up helping with cherry production and harvest. He attended Elk Rapid schools and graduated in 1959. This ceremony was held at Cherryland High School. It’s during these formidable teenage years he was known for developing his passion for driving fast cars and fast boats. 

Dale’s next step was to proudly serve his country. He joined the Navy in the mid 1960’s and served in the ships engine room.

Dale spent the majority of his adult life in a loving partnership with his late wife, Patricia Anne (Stites-Jennings) Hesley. They were married on April 8th, 1977 in Traverse City, Michigan and shared almost 41 amazing years together. He also shared in helping to raise Pat’s 4 sons. As a family they really enjoyed camping with family and friends, visits with Great Grandma Marie Hesley at Noble Pines in Elk Rapids and with Grandpa Douglas and Grandma Leona Stites for Sunday dinners with the boys and their favorite part was gathering around the TV to watch the Wonderful World of Disney and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. Dale spent time showing the boys how to hunt, fish, stack wood and the ropes of Cherry Farming. 

Along with summers as a Cherry Farmer he also worked as a machinist at Cone Drive in Traverse City and later on as a truck driver for Central Transport and Liquid Transport. 

Dale and Pat later divided their time between the family home on Hickin Road near Kewadin and many, many winters in Aransas Pass, Texas. There they had a lot of good friends that shared in delicious potlucks, games of cards and shooting pool! 

Dale leaves behind 6 children who will miss him dearly. The 4 sons he helped raise with his late wife Pat are Daniel (Linda) Jennings, Douglas Jennings, Jeffery (Patty) Jennings and Gary Jennings and his children Michelle (Hesley) Wiley and Dale Alan Hesley, 11 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, a brother-in-law Douglas G (Pete) Stites Jr. and many dear friends from Michigan and Texas and of course Dale’s devoted doggies. 

Preceding him in death were his parents Paul & Grace Hesley, his beloved wife Patricia Hesley, sister-in-law Sharon Stites as well as several close friends.

Dale will be remembered so fondly for his passion and love for his cars and gun collections and being an avid fisherman and for taking out the pontoon boat on Torch Lake for tube rides with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

One of his famous quotes if you asked him how he was doing was “drinking beer and chasing wild women”. If he said that you knew he was doing great! 

There will be a private service for family in the near future.

Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, Covell-Traverse City Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

www.beaconfh.com