Dale William Pilgeram

Dale was a "Bigger Than Life" kind of guy. He passed away at the age of 81 due to a rare condition known as Multiple System Atrophy. Born in Los Angeles to Rudolph and Helen Pilgeram, Dale graduated from Willow Glen High School in San Jose, California. After serving in the Army and earning a degree in Electrical Engineering from San Jose State University, Dale followed in his father's footsteps, joining IBM in 1967. Over his 25-year career, he rose to the positions of Lab Director and Vice President of Development, taking pride in bringing all his projects to market.

Dale's life was filled with diverse activities and interests. In his youth, he played football and basketball, and later enjoyed playing softball and basketball with Rapazzini Winery in Morgan Hill and Gilroy. His love for adventure extended to skiing at Bear Valley, crabbing in Bandon, Oregon, and baling hay at the family ranch in Montana. Dale was also passionate about landscaping, designing his family home in Arnold, California, and contributing to numerous projects for the Pinebrook HOA. He loved planning weddings and family reunions, coaching basketball, and helping his four children with home renovations.

Travel was another of Dale's passions. He traveled frequently with IBM, yet he more often spoke about the two month motorcycling and camping trip through Europe with his wife Molly before they had children. They later enjoyed numerous camping, hiking, and RV trips with their children and grandchildren, including memorable reunions at Disneyland where Dale was referenced as a Kenny Rogers lookalike at the Golden Horseshoe. Molly and Dale also traveled across the world including England, Mexico, Africa, Egypt, Peru, Turkey, China, Korea and most of Europe. He had a deep love for live music and entertainment. He loved to dance!

Dale is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Molly (McClintock), his high school sweetheart. He leaves behind their four children and thirteen grandchildren: Katie (David) Cougevan and their children Connor, Dylan, Beckett, and Emmy; Tyler (Laura) Pilgeram and their children Miles, Heidi, Petra, and Ivy; Tasha (Nolan) Jahn and their children Sophia, Roxie, and Sawyer; and Kyle (Jasmine) Pilgeram and their children Gavin and Nora. Dale is also survived by his sisters, Joyce Joly of Angels Camp and Donna Chamberlin Meehan of San Jose. His strong work ethic, sense of humor, and positive outlook on life left a lasting impact, and his enthusiasm and energy will be greatly missed.

Published in Morgan Hill Times · May 27, 2025