Dale Thomas McCumber

Dale Thomas McCumber was born on November 13, 1974, To his mother Cheryl Ann (Connelly) Graham and Walt Connelly in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. (He was later adopted by step-father Frank McCumber) . He was eagerly welcomed by his big sister Staci, who was caught weeks later with him slung over her shoulder trying to get him out of his crib to comfort him. He grew up in Ft. Collins, Colorado. He was a memorable character at Bauder and CLP Elementary schools. One morning he found a garter snake on the way to school and tucked it in his pocket. When it escaped in class his mother received one of her first calls from a teacher. Not surprisingly, he was always collecting critters. One summer his mother cleared out the collection and found toads, garter snakes, a few bugs and some crawdads living in a stinky bucket in his closet. Junior High was spent at Lincoln, where he played both football and basketball. It was during a basketball game that he found out his first niece was on her way into the world. Most of the team accompanied him to the hospital to wish his sister well. Dale attended Poudre High School, graduating in 1995. He played football, and their team made it to a few state championship playoffs while he was an Impala. He had a tight knit group of friends who stayed that way well into adulthood. Dale lived big. He had a smile that will be remembered by all, a sense of humor that brightened any day, and a desire to do it all. He skateboarded, rode motocross, loved 4-wheeling in the mountains and camping in the Cherokee Park area. He was a master of working with his hands. He worked in construction, often framing or roofing, but learned to do just about anything that needed done. Near the end of his life he worked at Ace Hardware, using his experience and knowledge to help others. In 2001 he was in a serious motorcycle accident. We were thankful to not lose him then, but the damage to his brain never left him. Brain injuries lead to struggles with personality, addiction, memory, managing daily life, and the suicide rates of people with injuries like his are shockingly high. He was too proud to let others know the struggle he endured, but he decided the struggle was too much on Saturday August 15th, 2015. He will be forever missed by a huge number of friends, some he has held in his heart since childhood. His mother Cheryl Graham has lost a piece of her heart, and his big “sissy” Staci Herrick (husband Dan) will never stop longing for her “brubby”. He was a hero to his niece Rebecca Herrick, and nephews Aaron Thomas Graham and Joshua Herrick. He was more than an uncle. He was a friend to them. Dale’s Uncle Tom (Thomas Graham) was more than just his namesake. He was a mentor and father figure in many ways. When Dale left his physical body he was greeted by his grandparents Harriett and Dale Graham who preceded him in death. Please join his family in celebrating Dale on August 30, 2015 1-3pm. We will gather at the Lions Open Space pavilion, which is located at the intersection of Overland Trail and the Poudre River just outside LaPorte. Parking is limited, but you can also park at CLP elementary or junior high and walk along the beautiful trail. See if you can catch a garter snake like Dale used to in that area. In lieu of flowers we invite you to consider a donation to help the family pay expenses at http://www.gofundme.com/dalemccumber . Any excess funds will be donated towards brain injury support. The last line of his goodbye note was “Everyone’s after me lucky charms! LOL”. He would want you to laugh at that, and keep laughing for him.

Dale Thomas McCumber

November 13, 1976 - August 15, 2015