Friday's Internet Edition, May 09, 2008.
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At the age of 80, the former City Councilman died Wednesday from complications with pneumonia, while he also had been battling pancreatic and lung cancer. A memorial service was held Sunday in his honor at Memorial United Methodist Church, where he was a member.
“Dad was certainly a hero to me and an example to me all my life,” said his son Scott Styers, who now serves on City Council. “He always tried to do the right thing and do it for the right reason. He had a lot of integrity and presented the attributes that I would like to have in my life.”
In fact, those attributes have trickled down to Scott and his two brothers who all have had very successful careers. Son Stan retired in 2006 as executive director of the Tom A. Finch Community YMCA after serving 19 years, and Michael is in charge of Erskine Bowles’ estate. Bowles is the president of the University of North Carolina system.
“He was a hard worker himself and set an example of a good work ethic,” Stan said. “I guess growing up we saw him coming and going to work. He had a lot of responsibility and took that seriously.”
Up until early March, the father of three boys served as president of Dal Styers & Associates, employing Scott. Together the two sold furniture products for The Uttermost Co. Family members say Dalford had a goal of retiring at the age of 80 and was set to end his career on Sunday after the High Point Furniture Market.
His plans didn’t stop there as he was recently appointed to the Historic Preservation Commission. Due to his illness he wasn’t able to attend the commission’s first meeting in March.
“He always had a keen interest in the history of Thomasville and wanted preserve its welfare,” Scott said. “I think his volunteerism efforts over the years in a lot of ways exemplified how he wants to preserve the best in Thomasville.”
A statistic still embedded into Thomasville’s history is living proof of Dalford’s popularity.
After serving on City Council from 1961-1963, various reasons caused him not to run for office in 1969. His popularity was soaring at the time, and citizens decided to take the matters into their own hands in efforts to get Dalford in office by organizing a write-in campaign. He accumulated a record 259 write-in votes, but lost to George Poole with 754 votes.
Wife Peggy said her husband “enjoyed serving on City Council tremendously.”
“He was a very devout Christian,” his wife said. “He served in a lot of leadership roles. He always tried to do the best for Thomasville community.”
As a student at Thomasville High School, Dalford met his wife while she was she was a student at Lexington High School. After graduation and serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II, he returned home and married his high school sweetheart.
Dalford later attended Catawba College and Lenoir Rhyne College. He was a lifelong member of the Thomasville Jaycees and received the Distinguished Service Award in 1962.
In addition to his wife of 39 years and their sons, he is survived by eight grandchildren; Cathy Styers, Emily Styers, Rob Styers, Pinna Styers, Erin Styers Vincenz and her husband, Chris, Morgan Styers, Brian Styers and his wife, Cynthia and Anne Styers Viser and her husband, Matt; and five great-grandchildren: Victor Hensley, Kira Vincenz, Max Vincenz, Elijah Vincenz, and Lucy Styers. He is also survived by a sister, Betty Styers Harbison of Morganton; a stepson, John Dickinson and wife Beth of Charlotte; and a stepdaughter, Missy Dickinson, also of Charlotte.
Staff Writer Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 231, or ignasiak@tvilletimes.com.