A legecy of community service earns him Grand Marshal

These days village residents see Dale Scubic driving by slowly in his well kept, sharp red truck, on his way to or from somewhere with wife, Pat, along for the ride. Humble, quiet and mostly smiling, Dale is a true helper to his family, friends and community.
As one of Carbon Hill's finest citizens, Dale has given many long hours of volunteer time and effort.
Scubic served on the village board in the 1980s, and ran the Bingo stand with his efficient small crew. While Dale called the numbers his wife Pat, along with Michele M and Pat T, moved through the aisles gathering up the quarters each game cost to play a single card, and handed out more cards and collected more quarters quickly to keep the games going and help make the Bingo stand successful.
Dale, a card carrying plumber-fitter, was also valued as a capable board member, digging deep around town to find and fix leaks in the water pipe system.
Along with other village volunteers, often in freezing cold or at night, or on a weekend, they did whatever it took. Volunteer efforts meant we all relied on each one's skills, competencies and muscles, plus that reliable and unending availability.
In the early 1980s, Scubic and George Dare tore down the park's old outhouses. D Construction had just started and loaned them a jackhammer to cut out the concrete.
Dale also installed the plumbing in the new park bathrooms and made the stainless steel trough in the men's bathroom in the park with help from his sheetmetal co- workers. Dale began his career with a fitter's card and plumber's license and in 2004 officially retired from that long career.
Dale represents a third generation family in Carbon Hill. His grandfather Frank Skubic, a coal miner and then a beekeeper, served the village also “in the old days” as one of our mayors, and maintained the old cedar water tank, walking to and from home every day along Lacey Street to do his tasks.
Dale's parents, Tony and Ramona (Wharrie) Scubic, started out as a young couple renting a house in Carbon Hill before they moved into Coal City, buying their little home at 80 DeWitt Street, where Doris and Dale grew up.
Tony was working as a cutter at Hyman's Tailoring Factory in 1940, before the U.S. entered WWII. Tony was 37 years old. The local draft board told Tony to go get a defense job. So he went over to Seneca, IL where, along the Illinois River, the Chicago Bridge and Iron Co. had just opened the "Prairie Shipyard”.
Tony was hired and became one of many defense workers who built 157 of the 1,051 LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) used in WWII. Twenty-three of the Seneca Shipyard LSTs participated in the D-Day assault. In the midst of wartime, Dale Anton Scubic was born on May 15, 1944.
In 1950 when Dale was six years old he and his dad came into Carbon Hill in the 35 Chevy. At the entry into the village of Carbon Hill, Dale recalls a guy was there standing selling “tickets” (tags on a string) for $1.00 each. This donation was to support the “Homecoming” events.
That day the big soccer game was between a team from Mexico versus another team from far away. Each entry road into the village had a volunteer selling those tickets. Dale remembers the whole village was crowded with cars and people.
Young Dale and his dad enjoyed many happy times together; fishing was a favorite pastime. Fishing in the local rural spots in the 1950s was common.
In that era the winding curves of White Tie Road going west to “the Falls” at Mazon Creek offered access for fishing without having to venture up on the “high banks” (narrow high strip mine spoil clay ridges between the deep water which had filled the abandoned pits). Today, along White Tie Road going west, the curves have been straightened and a modern bridge crosses the drainage ditch. Concrete, riprap, and guard rails replaced the falls or old access roads into these pits, but keen eyes and a bit of imagination can still trace how it used to be.
In 1954, Dale saw some butterfly collections made by neighed boys and others in the neighborhood. Dale was about 10 and inspired to make his own display. Dale's two display cases of butterflies are the result. This collection hangs on the wall in his home today - meticulously mounted insects arranged with precision and patience - hallmarks of two of Dale's traits throughout his life.
When Little League got organized in Coal City on the original high school grounds, Dale joined at age 11 and played for two seasons until he was 12. His age advanced him to Pony League and a few years later he was Coaler at CCHS (1958) playing basketball until his senior year when he played both basketball and baseball.
Following high school graduation in 1962, Scubic joined the basketball team at Joliet Junior College for two years until he graduated. Dale then attended Western Illinois University for one year and quit school soon after his close friend Tommy Hanfeld was killed in a car accident. while serving in the Marines.
Dale went straight to the local draft board and changed his classification, then took a job at AP Green “Clay Pit” in Goose Lake while he waited. The first notice came December 21, 1965 and in January of 1966 he got his greetings letter. He traveled to Ft Polk in Lousiana and on to Fort Hood Texas for basic training and was sent to New Mexico for nuclear weapons training school before he was back to Fort Hood until his active duty was completed.
On Feb 7, 1968, Dale was back in Coal City, having served 2 years active duty. This duty was followed by the required 2 years of active reserve and 2 more years of inactive reserve. Dale remained “on call” for four years until 1972 when his service was fully completed.
Dale had returned to Coal City, where he met Patricia Halliday, a hometown Coal City girl. It was a typical small town love story -- “there she was just-a walking down the street” while the local guys 'buzzed the gut' noticing the girls. And on May 20, 1972, Dale Scubic married Pat Halliday in Assumption Catholic Church.
Leaving his family home at 80 Dewitt St in Coal City, he and Pat rented a little white house at 445 E. First Street until August '73. Dale began building their Carbon Hill home in August of 73, continuing through May '74.
For a while Dale, Pat and baby Toni Marie went to Dewitt St and stayed with Mona and Tony until May 27, 1974 when they moved into Carbon Hill and raised their three daughters. So May 27, 2024 marked 50 years for Dale living in Carbon Hill.
Dale's roots in Carbon Hill go back to the early 1900s when grandpa Frank Skubic and grandma Ursula (Korelc) Skubic lived on the west side of Sixth St. Their two story house is remodeled but it's still there, owned by Charlie Shain now.
On the east side of Sixth Street, all the lots were one again vacant by the 1920s, so Frank and Ursula Skubic bought those lots to grow potatoes or other produce. Dale's Aunt Frances bought these lots from her mom and Dale's dad Tony then bought three of the the lots from Frances. Dale's sister Doris and her husband (“Murph”) had their home built on the south corner lots in 1960.
To prepare for that, Doris and Dale's cousin Billy Wharrie, helped Dale chop down all the scrub trees and clear the corner lots for Doris and Murph to build their home. Dale's lots are north of Doris' and they were cleared when Dale was ready to build his home in late summer 1973.
Dale has always been a lover of vintage cars and trucks. He once bought a Model T Ford from Ivan, a mechanic in the Ford garage. Dale eventually sold that vintage Model T truck. It ended up with new owner George Dare who would drive it in our Carbon Hill parades for many years.
Dale has bought and meticulously restored several old cars in his garage in Carbon Hill. Between car clubs, car shows, cruise nights and car runs, Dale and several buddies along with his cousin Joey Macaluso enjoyed this hobby, and shared good times over the years.
They continue to reminisce about cars, car shows, Homecoming memories of parachutists jumping out of planes during Homecoming to land in the ball field (and missing the spot), the bungee jumpers, fireworks, and the Sunday parades they all enjoyed in the shade under the ash trees along Lacey Street in Micetich's yard.
Then tragedy struck when Dale's wife Pat died at age 47 on June 30, 1998. Dale and his three daughters, as well as their friends and family, were numb with grief.
On July 17, 1999, Dale met Pat Vidmar, whose colleague had suggested she meet Dale Scubic. Pat and Dale dated from summer 1999 until they married on March 1, 2005 in Las Vegas. Their 20th anniversary will be March 1, 2025.
The 21st century has provided Dale with many blessings. His three daughters, now with their own families, all live nearby. His firstborn daughter Toni Marie is married to Doug Durham; second daughter Alice Ann is married to Brett Aldridge; and third daughter Cori Lynn (Doug Carey) married Jason Forsythe but way too soon became his widow.
Dale's grandchildren are: Natalie Marie Durham, Drew Curtis Durham, Mason James Aldridge, Leah Grace Aldridge, Kellen Dale Forsythe, Daxton Michael Carey and Cougar (Forsythe.
Today, Dale at age 80, is enjoying retired life with Pat and they are living still at 735 N Sixth St in Carbon Hill . Family gatherings and day trips to casinos, and quiet times at home fill his days. An oil and acrylic painting hobby has now become his pastime. Dale says his artwork in oil and acrylics is his legacy….. that's true enough.
But Dale has left an additional legacy: his service to his community. This legacy is much deserved and appreciated and so we now we celebrate and recognize Dale as the Grand Marshal of Carbon Hill's Homecoming for 2024.
Dale will be presented with a plaque at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 19 at the village park's flagpole to begin the week's festivities. See him again in Sunday's parade as the honored Grand Marshal.
On Saturday, June 22, at 6 pm, in Carbon Hill School Museum, we will celebrate Dale sharing stories, photos and listening to his stories too. Join all there and bring your own stories about Dale and the many decades of the Carbon Hill homecomings over the years.