On September 23, 1937, in a land called Wisconsin, a baby boy was born to William and Beulah (Brehmer) Toetz. They named the boy Dale William, and he grew up loved. His parents instilled in him a love for the outdoors and a passion for conservatism, and his protective nature was honed by the birth of his little brother Paul when he was 8 years old. The family stayed intact in Milwaukee until Dale decided to leave the homestead and move to Madison, Wisconsin for his higher education, earning a BS in Zoology and an MS in Zoology and Botany from the University of Wisconsin. There aren't many details known about him during this time period, but those who knew him well later in his life surmise that he was studious, dedicated, and probably a little nerdy. He went a little farther away to earn a PhD in Zoology in 1965 from another midwestern institution, Indiana University. Again, not a lot is known about this time since he never really wanted to talk about himself and his past exploits, but since we all know how hard it is to earn a PhD, we assume he spent a lot of his time with his nose in his books or in his lab. He did take time to connect with people who would become lifelong contacts and friends. And we know he took time for field work, because it was during one of his research trips to a lake in northern Indiana where he met Joyce Hathaway. They married and made their home in Stillwater, Oklahoma where he started his career as a professor of Biology at Oklahoma State University. They had 2 sons, first Mark and then 2 years later, Eric.

He was a prolific researcher, publishing 61 papers. He definitely fit the description of what one would call an academic, and took pride in fostering a love of learning in his students, sponsoring 11 master level and 6 doctoral level graduate students.

Another chapter of his life started in 1988 when he married Charlotte W. Gibbons. They settled in Oklahoma City and he commuted to OSU until his retirement in 2008. They both enjoyed classical music, and the symphony was a popular date night destination. They stayed in their cute bungalow 1930's home until they moved to University Village in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2017.

Dale loved the outdoors, especially when he was conducting research on lakes in Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma and Colorado. He was an avid fisherman and taught both of his sons how to fish, along with teaching them the importance of respecting and caring for the environment. He enjoyed hunting, mainly waterfowl and pheasants, an activity that often included Charlotte and their beloved dog Lilly. When he wasn't spending time outdoors, he could be found reading, listening to classical music or attending dinner parties with friends.

Dale William Toetz, PhD, 88 years old, let go of this world peacefully on June 12, 2026. He is preceded in death by both his parents and his marvelous wife Charlotte.

His legacy lives on in the numerous students whose lives he touched, and in his family, who loved him and who will miss him terribly: sons Mark (Melissa), of Bluffton, Indiana, and Eric (Kelly), of Indianapolis, Indiana; step-daughters Hilary Ziols, of Wesley, Iowa, and Jennifer Gibbons (Tom Clark), of Tulsa, Oklahoma; grandchildren and step-grandchildren Jimmy Toetz, Alex (Sonja) Toetz, Quentin Toetz, Victoria Toetz, Owen (Cary) Ziols, Eli Ziols, Ben (Katherine) Clark, and Sam (Pin-Fang) Clark; one great-granddaughter, Kira Ri Li Clark; and his brother, Paul (Joanne) Toetz, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Private services will be held later this year when his family can gather together to spend time at some of his favorite places in Oklahoma. Those wishing to honor Dale can do so by making a donation in his name to the Port Caeli House in Tulsa. Port Caeli House provides hospice care free of charge. cceok.org or Catholic Charities, Development Office. P.O. Box 508460, Tulsa, OK 74158-0460. Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233