WRRC Members, Darrel's obituary came out today 2-JAN-2019 in “The Commons” and we wanted all to have access to it. Here is a direct link to it: http://www.commonsnews.org/site/site05/story.php?articleno=29598 And here is the text…. Darrel L. Daley, 82, of Putney. Died Dec. 16, 2018 at his home. Born in Porterville, Calif., to Leonard and Helen (Scharlepp) Daley, he grew up in this farming community in the Great Central Valley of California. Upon graduation from high school, he joined the Navy and became a navy musician. His first "overseas post" was Kodiak, Alaska. There he met Marion Collani, who was doing her first year of teaching after graduating from Montclair (N.J.) State Teachers College. They married in December 1957. After his discharge from the Navy, he returned to California to attend Pasadena City College and then Cal State-Los Angeles. After he earned his B.S., Darrel and Marion took teaching positions in Chugiak, Alaska. Their original plan was to teach there a couple of years and then return to the "lower 48." That time period stretched out to two decades. They both taught at the elementary level until the new Chugiak High School was built. Then Darrel took the position of music/band director. He continued at that job until retirement in 1983. Back in the early 1960s, Chugiak could be described at a pioneering community. Folks were pushing through roads, drilling wells, building their own homes on Home Site properties. Darrel undertook the building of a huge addition to their log home. This he succeeded in doing, and the family moved into their expanded quarters in 1974. By that time they had two sons, Daren and Matt. Darrel took his sons on hunting and fishing trips, camping in some of the most beautiful and rugged country that Alaska has to offer. In 1978, the family piled into their pickup and camper to drive to Putney, where Darrel was to attend a photography workshop. They discovered the beauty of the Green Mountain State and bought 10 wooded acres in Putney. Each following summer, they traveled to Vermont to work on the land. When Darrel retired, the family moved everything they owned by U-Haul and trailer to Putney where the house was to be built on land overlooking the Connecticut River and the Great Meadows. They moved into their new home in 1984, and have been there ever since. Darrel was a man of many talents: house builder, photographer, chess player, and musician. The hobby that gave him the most pleasure was ham radio. When the house was designed, there was a darkroom and a "Ham Shack" included. He spent many hours enjoying many aspects of that hobby. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Marion; two sons: Daren Daley, his wife Debbie, their daughters, Kayla Daley and Brittany Parker, and great-granddaughters Caitlyn and Melynnie, all of Texas, and Matt Daley, his wife, Reiko and their daughter, Amanda, who live in Hokkaido, Japan. Memorial information: A celebration of his life will be held in April at Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro. Donations to Centre Congregational Church, or the West River Radio Club. P.O. Box 8087, North Brattleboro VT 05304. With heavy hearts, may Darrel – K1KU, RIP.
