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Dale Hofert Jr., age 70 of Marshalltown, Iowa, passed away surrounded by his loving family on the afternoon of October 1, 2026 at MercyOne in Waterloo, Iowa.
Per Dale's wishes, cremation rites have been accorded and a celebration of life will be held on Sunday, October 11, 2026 from 2:00 until 4:00 P.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. In lieu of flowers, family has asked that memorials be designated to the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown. For additional information or to send a condolence to the family, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234. Dale LaVern Hofert was born December 20, 1955 in Marshalltown, Iowa. He was the son of Dale Sr. and Vera "Claudine" (Terry) Hofert. He was raised in Montour, Iowa and attended school in Marshalltown, Iowa graduating with the Marshalltown High School Class of 1974. After graduation, Dale enlisted in the United States Army where he honorably served from 1974 until 1977.
Following his time in the Army, Dale resided in Colorado. Shortly after he moved to Rhodes, Iowa where he started and raised his family. He began working for Story Construction and moved up to supervisor over his many years with the company. In 2008, Dale moved to Marshalltown, Iowa. On April 14, 2012, he was united in marriage to the love of his life, Marilyn Bavender Slack at the First Baptist Church in Marshalltown. They rekindled a friendship that began back in high school where they first met. From their union, Dale gained three children, Jennifer, Trevor and Tyler. In 2022, Dale retired from Story Construction after 39 years of service.
In his free time, Dale was an active member of the American Legion Post #46 of Marshalltown. He had a deep love for his fellow veterans and tried to attend as many veteran funerals as he was able. Additionally, Dale was heavily involved with the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown. He was unanimously voted their 2025 Volunteer of the Year. It was through his volunteer work that he met his favorite four-legged furry companion, Cappy. As the Animal Rescue League said, "Dogs who struggled to trust would brighten the moment Dale walked in." In addition to his volunteer work, Dale loved spending time with his family and as often as possible with his grandchildren. He made an effort to attend his grandchildren's extracurricular activities as often as possible. He enjoyed tinkering in his man cave, going for workouts at the Y in Marshalltown, sitting in his garage listening to music and fishing. Alongside his wife Marilyn, they liked to travel as often as time would allow to go and attending plays and concerts in Des Moines.
Dale is survived by his loving wife, Marilyn; his children, Dylan (Rachel) Hofert, Josh (Tracy) Sullivan, Jennifer (Anthony) Harrison, Trevor Slack and Tyler Slack; his 15 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; five siblings, Deana Linhart, Shirley Brawner, Mike (Debbie) Hofert, Ed (Betsy Mills) Hofert and Kim (Randy Daniel) Cowan. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and his fur baby Cappy. Dale is preceded in death by his sons, Dusty Hofert and Ryan Zallar; his father, Dale Hofert Sr. and mother Vera "Claudine" Hofert; father-figure, Charlie Buchwald and numerous extended family members.