Remembered for his creative spirit and sense of humor, former campus facilities manager Dale Maddox died Friday at his home in Oregon after having battled an unknown illness since 2013. He was 55 years old.
Born on Jan. 9, 1961, in Lakeport, California, Maddox grew up in Penngrove, California, and spent most of his adult life in Berkeley, working as a campus facilities manager for 24 years. He retired in 2014 and moved to his family home in Lebanon, Oregon.
According to his brother, Steve Maddox, Dale Maddox was compassionate and deeply generous — qualities that were both evident in his relationships with family and friends.
“He was very caring for anybody that was around him, he was also an extremely trustworthy, loyal person,” Steve Maddox said. “When you became one of his people, he stood by your side no matter what, and you could trust him with anything.”
As a facilities manager at UC Berkeley, Dale Maddox managed faculty laboratory spaces in six campus buildings — including the College of Natural Resources — and six off-campus facilities. He was required to oversee space renovations, building emergencies, equipment and chemical inventories and all safety matters, tasks that were “very difficult” although he “made it all look easy,” according to his supervisor.
A child at heart, he was close with his 17 nieces and nephews, spending a considerable amount of time with them. His brother recalled when Dale Maddox once took their family on a trip to Marine World and played in the pool with five of his nieces and nephews while still wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
“It didn’t matter to him that he was two to three times their height and older than them,” said Dale Maddox’s brother. “Whatever they were doing, he would be doing it right along with them.”
Dale Maddox was creative and enjoyed activities including gardening, photography and traveling. He often gave away his creations, such as afghan blankets, to family members.
He also possessed talents for quilting and crocheting, and he was considered an “excellent cook” by those who knew him, according to Steve Maddox. At his home in Berkeley, Dale Maddox tended to a “beautiful” herb garden and would frequently incorporate herbs into his recipes, his brother said.
Dale Maddox also loved his Queensland Heeler dogs Brit, T-Bo and Arli.
Dale Maddox is survived by his mother, Margaret Maddox; his siblings, Shurleen and her husband Dick Rickard, Cheryle and her husband Fred Tate, Karla Maddox, Chris and his wife Kelli Maddox and Steven and his wife Angela Maddox; his domestic partner Gary Roda; his 17 nieces and nephews; and his five great-nieces and great-nephews.
Graveside services will be held Friday at 4:30 p.m. at the Brownsville Pioneer Cemetery in Brownsville, Oregon.
