Dale Ardell Kleppin, 93, of Radford, left to meet his beloved wife Jean for their weekly Wednesday breakfast date on the morning of March 25, 2026. She’d been holding their table for 10 years.
Dale was born in Wessington Springs, South Dakota on June 10, 1932. Although he didn’t remember, he survived a skull fracture after being hit by a car when he was three. As he always said, as far as he could tell, he made a full recovery. Not long after, his parents moved the family to Selah, Washington where they eventually operated a small apple orchard. Dale spent his youth helping on the orchard, and he even picked hops for the beer industry. He was a standout in football and basketball.
He first saw Jean at a church youth camp just after her family had moved to Selah from Buffalo, Oklahoma. They fell in love attending a regular Monday evening Bible study. They married Feb. 3, 1951, less than a year after Dale graduated high school.
Dale briefly attended Seattle Pacific College before enlisting in the U.S Air Force in 1952 at the start of the Korean War. His time in the military took Dale & Jean to California, Colorado, and Texas. Their first child, Sally, was born at the Sheppard Air Force Base hospital.
After his discharge from the service, Dale attended the University of Washington and during this time, the twins, Doug and Dennis, were born. While Dale worked part time and went to school full-time, Jean stayed home with three small children. They both managed to get Dale through college, and he graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering. They would add a third son, Jeff, while Dale bounced the family between coasts, working for Boeing in Seattle, Avco Corporation in Massachusetts, Douglas Aircraft in California, and back to Avco. He eventually took a job with Kaman Science Corporation where he would finish his career.
Dale had a role in some of the most important aerospace technology in history. He worked on the Minuteman missile project. He designed heat shields that brought Apollo astronauts safely back from the moon. He worked on the Saturn Rocket, the Space Shuttle, and was heavily involved in the development of the B-2 Stealth Bomber.
Dale and Jean settled in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. They were faithful members of First Baptist Church for years where they developed lasting friendships. They enjoyed camping, square dancing, entertaining, travelling, and sports. Dale was an avid golfer, woodworker, jigsaw puzzler, reader, and ham radio enthusiast. He enjoyed sitting on his porch watching the deer eat Jean’s hostas and figuring out ways to keep the squirrels off the birdfeeders.
Dale and Jean retired first to Decatur, Alabama and eventually settled in Radford to be near their youngest son Jeff and his family.
Dale was preceded in death by his beloved wife Jean, his parents Dale and Wilma Kleppin, his brother Paul Kleppin, and sister Carol Kleppin.
He is survived by his children Sally Samuel, Doug (Kelly) Kleppin, Dennis (Lori) Kleppin and Jeff (Kathy) Kleppin; 14 grandchildren Chelsea (Joe) Samuel, Kyle (Whitney) Kleppin, Carolyn (Matt) Brugh, Reid Samuel, Perry (Kelsey) Kleppin, Josh (Anne) Kleppin, Makena (Evan) Coulson, Carlee Kleppin, Chet Kleppin, McKensey Kleppin, Anna Kleppin, Jamie White, Reilly Kleppin and William White; three great grandchildren Connor, Miles and Margo; his siblings Terry (Janice) Kleppin, and Glenna Kleppin; and numerous other relatives, nephews, and nieces.
Visitation will be held at Valley Bible Church in Radford Friday, April 10, 2026, 9 a.m. until time of service at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at the Southwest Virginia Veteran’s Cemetery at 1 p.m.
The Kleppin family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory in Radford.
