Roger Dale "Bo" Dalton

Roger Dale “Bo” Dalton, 66 of Havana, Florida, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday, August 30th, at the home of his sister, Donna Ferguson, Tallahassee, Florida. He is preceded in death by his parents Sarah Helen and Paul Hershel Dalton. He is survived by his sister, Donna Ferguson, Tallahassee, Florida, brother, Don Dalton (Mary Jo), Deland, Florida, sister, Linda Moore (James “Bubba” Moore), Guantanamo Bay Cuba, and brother Bruce Dalton, Cairo, Georgia.

Bo never married or had children of his own, however, he was blessed with a multitude of nieces and nephews.  He recently entered the era of being a “Great, Great, Uncle” of which he was very proud.  He loved being around his nieces and nephews especially when they were “new” babies.  Good luck getting your baby back when they were little.

He was born July 5th, 1957, at Gadsden Memorial Hospital in Quincy, Florida.  He remained a lifelong resident of Havana but traveled extensively with the military. After graduating from Havana High School in 1975, he immediately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, and proudly completed 20 years of service and retired as Staff Sergeant.  During his Marine Corps tenure, he served in several different areas, but his specialty was with the Assault Amphibious Tank Division, as Tank crewman, and Primary Marksmanship Instructor. He served in the Gulf War, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, in addition to multiple deployments across the globe.  He received multiple awards, medals, and commendations throughout his tenure. Bo loved serving his country and took great pride in his job, and this pride was carried with him until his passing.

After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1994, he returned to Havana.  He worked for a short time at Gramlings in Tallahassee before moving on to work for The Home Depot in Northeast Tallahassee in the hardware division.  September 19th would have been his 20-year anniversary with the company.

Bo was everything Charlie Brown/Snoopy, Smiley Face Stickers, and Snacks! He was known as “Joe Cool” by the family.  Whenever he gave a card or letter, his signature was a smiley face sticker and there was no question as to who it was from.  This tradition started when he was deployed in the military, as his sister Donna sent him smiley face stickers and he would use them with all his letters.  Donna also gifted him with Charlie Brown ornaments yearly at Christmas and now his Christmas tree could be a Hallmark commercial.  It would not be Christmas until he watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.

Bo always had a stash of Payday and Baby Ruth candy bars as well as Peanut M&M’s, you know, just in case…and he loved sharing Goldfish with his nieces and nephews along with the seagulls at St. George Island.  He was truly a beach bum at heart.  His love of lighthouses is evident from the collection of art in his home.

Bo loved 70’s era rock music and had quite the music collection.  He was an avid reader diving into huge autobiographies of war commanders. For lighter reading, he enjoyed behind the scenes stories of music legends.  He loved family get-togethers, especially Thanksgiving (Mama’s cornbread dressing) and Christmas (Linda’s homemade candies). He was all about food and boy did he love to eat (ten squares a day).  He would always say after a meal, “That was a great snack, now what’s for dinner?”.

His faith was very important to him, and his Bible traveled everywhere with him, from his bedroom to multiple deployments across the globe and every battlefield.  He and his sister, Donna, share a special bond as they were baptized on the same day.

Semper Fi

Visitation/reception will be held at Faith Funeral Home, 6972 FL/GA Highway, Havana, Florida Tuesday September 5th at 6-8pm.  The family will receive guests and share food, fellowship, stories, and his favorite music.

Interment will take place, Wednesday September 6th at Tallahassee National Cemetery, 5015 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Florida at 11am with full military honors.

The family would like to thank all the Medical Staff that provided care for him under the most challenging of circumstances. We also thank Big Bend Hospice of Tallahassee, for the care, love, and support they offered during a difficult time.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Big Bend Hospice of Tallahassee, or The Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation.

Faith Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements (850.539.4300 or www.faithfuneralhome.com).