Dale Waymire dies at age 82

Funeral service for outstanding Oklahoma United Methodist layman Joseph Dale Waymire, 82, was held Dec. 15 at Madill-First UMC, where he was a member.

He died Dec. 6, 2012, in Ardmore Veterans Center, after a long illness.

Waymire served at all levels of The United Methodist Church. He was a past lay leader of the Oklahoma Conference.

He primarily worked with United Methodist Men (UMMen), including leading them as Conference president.

Waymire drafted legislation, approved by the 1996 General Conference, that made UMMen a general agency of the Church. As president of the Association of Conference Presidents of UMMen, he was instrumental in establishing the national UMMen Foundation. He received the John Wesley Fellow Award, and a Leadership Award was named for him.

Scouting was a prominent activity for him, too. Waymire was a Scoutmaster and member of the Board of the Arbuckle Executive Council, and chaired the Protestant Relations Committee for Boy Scouts of America. He received the Silver Beaver award.

He represented the Oklahoma Conference at five jurisdictional and three general conferences. He served on the General Board of Discipleship.

At the Madill church, his involvement ranged from choir and teaching Sunday School to chairing trustees and finance boards.

Waymire was in the U.S. Army and Oklahoma National Guard. He was a businessman and held a private pilot’s license.

Dale Waymire married Mona Mae Gary on Aug. 4, 1951, in Lenapah. She survives him; others include daughter Emily Swisher, son Gary Waymire, and grandchildren. Arrangements were by Watts Funeral Home, Madill.