John Dall

Waynesville, John A. Dall, age 84, of Key Circle, passed away on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at the John F. Keever, Jr. Solace Center in Asheville. Of Scottish descent, John was born in Lancaster County, England, the son of the late John and Margaret Lunn Dall. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Ramon Dall. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Flora M. Gammon; ten daughters, Allison Zimmerman, Stacy Heck, Rhiannon Bushue, Teresa Margrey (Alan), Anita Nichols (Bill), Robin Baker (Jim), Penny Huber, Margaret Dall, Marilyn Howe (Charlie), Jackie Miller (Victor); two sons, J. Kevin Dall (Billie), and Craig Dall (Jenniffer) of Clyde; three sisters, Marilyn Huebert (Leroy), Carol Battersby and Christine Webb; twenty-five grandchildren, including John A. Dall and Jesse M. Dall of Clyde; and ten great-grandchildren. John was a Mechanical Engineer who lived and worked on all continents, but retained the soft burr of his native country. He served as a British Royal Marines Commando in World War II, and also in the United States Army National Guard. John was a founding member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, Orange, California, and was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Waynesville, where he served as an Elder. A life-long scouter, John was a King Scout and Woodbadger, and had served as the Roundtable Commissioner for the Pigeon River District of the Daniel Boone Council, Boy Scouts of America. He had been a leader of a co-ed Explorer Post in Orange, California. Elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians (Scotland), John was also the founder and certificated teacher of the Haywood Scottish Country Dancers who performed at many local and area festivals. He had been an advisor to the Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin, and an organizer and Sergeant-Major (Permanent) of the 78th Fraser Highlanders, Fort New Inverness Garrison. He was also a past officer of Clan Chattan, USA. John had recently retired as the Director of the Kirking and Parade of Tartans for the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, where he and his wife received the Agnes MacRae Morton Award in 2010, for service to the games. John loved to work in leather. Besides taking a role as an extra, he made almost all the sporrans worn by the Scottish contingent of the cast in the remake of The Last of the Mohicans, directed by Michael Mann. John was a Knight Grand Cross of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, a chivalric Christian order. He had served as Collection Center Coordinator of the westernmost counties for Operation Christmas Child, a Christian charitable organization, and most recently, had enjoyed delivering Meals On Wheels in the Fines Creek Community. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at First Presbyterian Church of Waynesville, with the Reverend John Lindsay officiating. The family will receive friends following the service at the church. Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Waynesville, 305 N. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786, Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, P.O. Box 1095, Linville, NC 28646, or Meals On Wheels, 486 East Marshall Street, Waynesville, NC 28786.

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