Harry 'Dale' Rachel

Harry Dale Rachel, 80, of Mahomet IL passed away on Thursday, September 28, 2023 in Gifford IL. Dale was born on October 30, 1942 in Greenfield TN to parents Harry and Martha Rachel. He was preceded in death by his wife Sandra (DeLong) Rachel. He is survived by daughters Susie (Rob) Baker and Stacy (Tony) Rachel, and grandchildren Spencer and Park Baker. Dale was raised in Bradford IL where he met his wife Sandy at the age of eleven, and later married her there on August 1, 1965. They had been married for 53 years at the time of her passing.

He served in the US Army as a Disbursement Specialist from 1961-64 and was later in the US Army Reserves. He also earned an associates degree from Illinois Central College. Dale worked for Caterpillar, Inc. for more than 40 years, and ended his career there as a Commodity Manager in the Global Purchasing Division.

Dale enjoyed being outdoors. He was very proud of the landscaping that he and Sandy did at the homes in which they lived. He enjoyed playing golf with his friends and was an avid Chicago Bears and St. Louis Cardinals fan. Dale loved Corvettes and owned two of them at different points of his life. He cherished spending time with his family, especially being Papa to his two grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

The family would like to thank the team at Carle Clinic and Carle Foundation Hospital for the excellent care of their loved one.

Visitation for Dale will be held at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Champaign, IL, 710 N Neil St., Champaign IL, 61820 on Thursday, October 5, from 11am-1pm. A private inurnment will be held at Danville National Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.