Dale Dimico, 83

Harry Dale Dimico, 83, a lifelong resident of St. Maries, Idaho, passed away Jan. 16, 2025, in Germantown, Tenn. Dale was born to Sam and Louise (Biotti) Dimico on Jan. 21, 1941. Dale graduated from St. Maries High School in 1960. 

After high school, Dale sawed in the woods, worked as a carpenter in Seattle and cleared timberland to make way for Dworshak Dam. He became an accomplished hunter of ducks, geese and big game. He also attended North Idaho College and the University of Idaho, where he studied forestry. Although he never earned his degree, he absorbed information like a sponge and was an avid lifelong learner of horticulture and forestry practices. If you visited a botanical garden with Dale, it was rare to find a plant he couldn’t name. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1966-71 with the 321 Engineer Battalion in Wallace, Idaho. 

In 1971, Dale met Gretchen, and they married in 1972. They raised a son, Chris, and Dale started a horse logging business that worked small private parcels and campgrounds. Later, he purchased a logging truck with a self-loader and expanded his business to a wider variety of jobs, including the construction of custom log houses. Dale and Gretchen finished building their log house in 1985 and enjoyed living and entertaining in it until Gretchen sadly passed in 1998. Dale transitioned his business into tree farming in the 1990s. He acquired and managed timber parcels for timber value and to support wildlife habitat. He was a longtime member of the Idaho Forest Owners Association and served on their board of directors from 1999-2013. He was a member of the Benewah County weed control committee and the Idaho Farm Bureau. He traveled throughout North America and Europe, attending tree farming conferences. Dale met Barbara Brothers in 2011, and they were together happily until 2023 when, due to a fall, she had to go into a care facility. In 2024, due to declining health, he relocated to Tennessee to live with his son, Chris, and his family.

Dale is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Ed and Marge Dimico (St. Maries); and his nephews, Don Dimico (Yakima), Brian Dimico (Spokane), Mike Dimico (Liberty Lake), and Tony Dimico (Deer Park); and his nieces, Cindy Petrie (St. Maries), Luann Pelton (Hillsboro, Ore.), Renita Foust (Kooski, Idaho), Mary Dimico, Alison Scott, Paula Dimico and Gerri Bowman of Spokane; and his son, Chris Niederer (Germantown, Tenn.) and wife Sandra; three grandkids, Sabrina Elmore, Madison and Grant Niederer; and two great-granddaughters, Ava and Vera. He is predeceased by his parents, Sam and Louise Dimico, and his brothers, Robert and Don.

Charitable contributions in Dale’s memory may be made to the Idaho Tree Farm Program (P.O. Box 581, Rathdrum, ID 83858) or the American Cancer Society. A memorial service will be held at noon Friday, June 27, at St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church (St. Maries, Idaho), with a family burial service in Harrison, Idaho, on July 2, 2025.