Dale R. Crawford

September 8, 1937 - January 12, 2021

Dale R. Crawford, 83, Moorhead, MN, died Tuesday, January 12, 2021, in his residence and under care of Hospice of the Red River Valley. Dale Robert Crawford, known to many as “Shorty”, was born September 8, 1937 in St. Paul, MN to Pearley and Florence (Oberg) Crawford. He was raised and educated in Moorhead, graduating from Moorhead High School in 1955. After school Shorty enlisted with the United States Air Force, serving his country overseas during the Korean Conflict from 1955-1957. Following his honorable discharge, Shorty moved back to Moorhead. He worked in sales for Big Red Grocery (Cysco) for several years. Dale was a proud member of Moose Lodge International, Moorhead American Legion, VFW and belonged to the AmVets in Fargo. After 25 years, Dale married his longtime companion, Patricia Gravalin on October 30, 2019. In his spare time, Dale enjoyed spending time with friends, playing darts and bingo. He also enjoyed football, Nascar, muscle cars and TV game shows. Dale will be remembered and missed by his wife, Patricia Crawford; daughter, Cindy (Scott) Tuomala; step-daughters, Bonnie (Tim) Church, Brenda Marquart and Connie Berg. In addition, he is survived by one grandson, Eli Tuomala; step-grandchildren, Carla, Teresa, Cody, Kayla, Nichole, Shay and Austin and one sister, Jan Peterson. He was preceded in death by his parents. A graveside service with full military honors will be held in the spring of 2021.