A CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Theron Eldred Dalton (Ted)

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31

February 21, 1930 ─ June 6, 2014

Theron Eldred Dalton (Ted) took Jesus’ hand when He called him home on Friday, June 6, 2014 after rapidly declining health the prior six months. Ted was born in Wichita, Kansas, the eldest of four children. On November 3, 1951, he married Nancy Ann Perry and together they raised two children, Rod and Teresa.

Early in Ted and Nancy's marriage Ted went back to school, working nights at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach. He then enrolled in a pre-med program for two years. When their first child, Rod, was born shortly after their 5th wedding anniversary, he left the idea of medicine and worked many years in production management at various large companies. This took the family to San Diego for 4 years. Teresa, their daughter, was by then a toddler.

The economy took a downturn in 1966 and the plant where he worked closed. He returned to Long Beach and joined a real estate company with his dad. He worked with various realtors through the years until he had the opportunity to buy a fledgling Newport International University in Westminster in 1979. Shortly after, he moved the school to Newport Beach dropping the International. This was the time that the off-campus programs were being developed which was the direction Ted took the school. On the education grapevine, educators in other countries heard of this 'novel' approach and little by little they joined the 'directed independent study' that Newport created. Many countries developed classroom settings but always following the requirements of Newport and then added Newport International University so students earned an American degree. It grew by word of mouth to include nearly twenty countries.

Ted retired in 2001 and sold the school about 5 years later. Unfortunately, the leadership after the sale was not able to continue in the same manner as Dr. Dalton, and the school closed after several years.

During his working career, Ted and Nancy bought property in Wonder Valley in 1980, preparing a home and building a dream for their retirement. They traveled many weekends from So. Cal. to develop what was soon to be referred to as “The Ranch” and what became their second home until 2001 when Ted and Nancy retired and The Ranch became their permanent home, a place enjoyed by his kids, four grand-children, family, and good friends.

Ted’s hobby became collecting old cars and working on them until his energy then his health began to fail. His favorite location was his recliner where he could overlook the pond and look for family, friends and neighbors to visit.

Last November after a lifetime of love, challenges, and growth, Ted and Nancy celebrated their 62nd anniversary. Through years of hard work, he lived to see his dream come true and passed away in his favorite chair. Ted felt very blessed by the Lord he believed in. God is so good!

Now sits an empty chair, but our hearts are full of love for the man we called dear, dad, granpa, brother, and friend . . . See you soon our dear Ted!

Memorial Service for

Theron Eldred Dalton June 21, 2014

Order of Service

Welcome and Prayer . . . Ryan Nixon

Scripture Reading (I Corinthians 2:7-10) . . . Tara Nixon

“I Can Only Imagine” . . . Roger Nixon

Words of Remembrance . . . Open to friends/Teresa Nixon

Scripture Reading

Message Pastor Doug Scholten

Hymn On Eagle’s Wings

Closing Thoughts & Appreciation . . . Teresa Nixon

“I Will Rise” . . . Roger Nixon

Closing Prayer and Blessing Pastor Doug Scholten

You are invited to a time of fellowship and a light lunch after the service today.

Remembrances may be made to: Hines Hospice, 1616 W. Shaw Ave.; Suite C-1; Fresno, CA 93711

Condolences may be offered by visiting: b o i c e f u n e r a l h o m e . c o m

On Eagle’s Wings

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord

Who abide in His shadow for life

Say to the Lord

"My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!"

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings Bear you on the breath of dawn Make you to shine like the sun

And hold you in the palm of His hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you

And famine will bring you no fear

Under His wings your refuge

His faithfulness your shield.

Chorus

You need not fear the terror of the night

Nor the arrow that flies by day

Though thousands fall about you

Near you it shall not come.

Chorus

For to His angels He's given a command

To guard you in all of your ways

Upon their hands they will bear you up

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Chorus

The Promise

A plaque Ted gave to Nancy on their 60th anniversary. . .

My Dad (Spoken at Dad’s memorial by

Teresa Dalton Nixon)

Words of Remembrance One of my favorite verses in the Bible is, “It’s better to go to a house of mourning than a house of feasting”. There is something about a death that puts life into perspective and shows what’s truly important: relationships and love, which is what I’ve been thinking about since my dad passed. How much I loved him and appreciated things about him. To list them all would take more than our time will allow, but there are a couple things that have stood out in my mind the last couple weeks:

As my mom and I have been working through our thoughts and feelings, one of the things I mentioned to her was that the greatest gift dad ever gave me was that he loved my mom. When those in dad’s immediate family divorced, including his own parents, my dad did not allow such an

experience to be known by my brother and me. Though, if you know my mom, you’ll know this wasn’t a difficult feat for him to accomplish, but I knew dad didn’t just stay with mom, he loved mom and I know mom loved him. A hint of this you’ll find in the insert of the program of a poem dad gave mom on their 60th anniversary. I mean, not too many people these days live to be married 50 years let alone the 62 years they were married. This fundamental family foundation was a source of security for my brother and me to be raised, as well as an example to our kids. And for this I am not only proud, but so thankful for such a gift he and mom shared with their family.

Another thing I valued about my dad is that he was a visionary. He displayed this in business yet a visual example surrounds us now. Our family camped yearly at Pine Flat Lake when we lived at home. The story goes, on one of those trips dad ventured out

in the area and came across a piece of land. It was raw land with nothing more than the vegetation you see on the hills around here with oak trees, but my dad envisioned a place he and mom could develop and retire to in later years. So they purchased the property in 1980 and began to build segment by segment what surrounds us now. After mom’s multiple trips to the creek for water to clean the temporary living trailer and for other water needs, Mom and Dad first put in a well and were so excited when it turned on that mom said they celebrated by drenching each other with the hose and danced about laughing like little kids. After the well was installed, the barn was built with an apartment above for friends and family to stay when visiting, then a modest home for the two of them, followed by a car barn for dad to work on the old cars he loved, then the pond which my grandma Bernie said was “It’s frosting on the cake” and is the reason the pond was

named “Bernie’s Pond” after she died and is displayed on a plaque and attached to a rock to your right with the quote, “It’s frosting on the cake.” Dad saw in his mind’s eye a place where he and mom could retire one day, and a place he could invite others to enjoy and to develop relationships with the people he cared about. Mom and Dad have enjoyed hosting several church picnics, family reunions, holiday gatherings, and even a wedding. This place is forever embedded into his children and grandchildren as a place of adventure, fun, family, and togetherness, all because dad could imagine a bare piece of property into something so much more meaningful.

Yet the most important thing I appreciated about my dad is that he didn’t set the Ranch – as we’ve come to call it – as his final destination. When our kids were in grade school, a friend and I took a road trip up the California coast visiting several missions along the

Royal Road, better known as the El Comino Real, then over to Sacramento and finally a stop here on our way home. My friend hadn’t imagined what I had described to her about my parent’s home and her comment to dad was, “This must be heaven!” Yet dad instantly responded with, “It couldn’t be; Jesus isn’t here!” Yes, my dad was looking for another place in his future where the actual experience of Jesus was known. So much so, it took him to the bed side of dying friends to share with them what he hoped for and their need of God’s forgiveness through His Son, Jesus. Within the last year or so, dad made a comment to me that he would soon start looking forward to seeing Jesus. It is this that gives me so much comfort. Dad was a man who had God’s hope planted in his heart, first envisioning an earthly place to settle, then his heavenly place. A place Roger sang about which we can only imagine the wonderful things God has prepared for those who love

him.

As I said, there are many other qualities I admired about dad, but his faithfulness to relationships, his ability to see the unseen pictured in his mind’s eye, including the courage to pursue a vision, and the hope he held on to for his heavenly home with Jesus, his Savior, and sharing that hope with others makes me so proud of the man I was offered the gift of calling, “Dad.”

Closing Thoughts and Appreciation We just wanted to take an opportunity to thank everyone for coming this morning and sharing with us in the celebration of my dad’s life. All the cards, food, flowers, and calls have meant so much, especially to my mom. I especially want to thank Doug, not only our pastor, but my boss and friend for traveling from Buena Park, where we live, to officiate this morning. Since there are two things I know about Doug: his love of

bike riding and his enjoyment of eating, I was sure to include two opportunities in my request when I emailed him last week about his willingness to travel the distance to officiate: biking in a very beautiful area, and all meals included. Not sure which one may have gotten him here, but Doug, thank you so much for being here, it means the world to us.

Yes, we do miss dad very much, as I’m sure you and all those who couldn’t be here do. Yet over the last couple weeks, mom and I have focused on the blessings dad experienced. He lived a long life; dying at 84 is not a tragedy, he lived a long-life full of many happy experiences and blessings. While several relative have recently passed in their early sixties, he was able to experience so many life celebrations since that age: he saw his first grand-daughter [Lindsay] basically grow up visiting the Ranch, he saw me meet and marry my husband and was able to give

us an amazing wedding, he saw our three children born [Ryan, Tara, and Daniel] and experienced wonderful family times at our home and especially here at the Ranch. And, he was reunited with my brother and enjoyed his presence while my brother lived here and studied for his bachelor’s degree. Additionally, dad was able to hold and study a framed diploma in his lap the night before he passed congratulating my brother on his accomplishment. Dad’s blessings were full of countless relationships that he enjoyed developing, and gatherings he enjoyed hosting.

My dad was a blessed man, a fun guy to hang with, had a great sense of humor, the most generous man I have ever known . . . and I’m sure you’ll agree that we were all blessed to know him. I know I was most blessed to call him “dad”. We will miss you dad, but we’ll see you soon . . . on that glorious day when we will rise when He calls our name...

Son-in-law and Grandkids (Father’s Day 2014) Ryan(20) , Tara(18) , Roger, Daniel(17)

Kids—Rod and Teresa

T Speedster and fixin’ up old cars

The ease of retirement with canine companions

Life’s Blessings. . .

Canine friends— Baxter & Missy with grand-dog, Spud

First grandchild— Lindsay

-An amazing wife- 62 1/2 years!

Teresa’s hubby

Ted

Four Special Grandchildren—

Left to right—Lindsey, Nancy, Ryan, Daniel, Ted, Tara (2012)

Teresa’s Family—

Teresa, Tara, Ryan, Ted, Nancy, Roger, Daniel (2011)

Thank you to everyone who has shared their love, concerns, prayers, and condolences to our family. They are so very appreciated and cherished.

A special thank you to Pastor Doug for the friendship we share and for traveling with his wife, Mary, from Buena Park to Wonder Valley to officiate. Pastor Doug Scholten is the

pastor of Christ Community Church in Buena Park where Ted enjoyed attending when visiting family and friends. Roger, Teresa and family started attending in 1998, and

Teresa became the church secretary in 2011. (Thank you, PBFB!)

“I’m Free” Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free,

I’m following the path God laid for me. I took his hand when I heard Him call,

I turned my back and left it all. I could not stay another day,

To laugh, to love, to work and play. Tasks left undone, must stay that way,

I’ve found that peace at the close of day. If my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joy. A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss, Ah yes, these things, I too, will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow, I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life’s been full, I savored much, Good friends, good times, my loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief, Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief. Lift up your heart and share with me,

God wanted me now. . .

He set me free!