Newell E (Ned) Dalton

May 15, 1933 ~ August 23, 2021

Newell E (Ned) Dalton, age 88, passed away on Monday, August 23, 2021 in Moab, UT.

He was born on May 15, 1933 in Moab, UT and grew up in Moab, Thompson Canyon, and Castle Valley. He was the eldest son of Newell Earl and Nelda Lavern Dalton, both preceding him in death.

Ned was born at the end of the depression and came from a family who farmed, raised cattle, and worked in the oil and gas fields around Moab and the surrounding areas. He grew up learning how to work hard.

At age eight and beyond, he held a man’s job during the summers of herding cattle on the Book Cliffs; sometimes with another boy his age, but most often alone.

At age 18 he voluntarily enlisted in the US Air Force and was sent to serve in the Korean War as a jet mechanic.

After returning from Korea, Ned attended college for two years; courted and married his now sweetheart of 66 years, Betty June Coccio; and then returned to Moab to work at Atlas Minerals, the local uranium mill, to provide for his family.

After two and a half years at the mill’s welding and machine shop, Ned branched out on his own and started a welding business.

Ned started and successfully ran a welding and machine shop, an exploration drilling business, a drill rig hard-banding business, and later in life, a heat pump business.

Integrity, honesty, and respect for women, the elderly, the down-trodden, and others were Ned’s central and core values. His generosity, hard work, and genuine caring for others were hallmarks that positively affected his family, his friends, and all those who came into contact with him.

Ned served faithfully in many capacities within his community, his family, his church, and his country. His love for this country, the Constitution, and for Jesus Christ was center to everything he did.

He served as a Bishop, a full-time missionary with his wife in the Missouri Independence Mission, and a worker in the Monticello Temple for 12 years.

He also served on the Grand County Planning Commission, the Moab Regional Hospital Board of Directors, the Grand County Water Conservancy District, and the Utah Water Association board.

Over the past two and half years of challenging health issues, his main concern was always about his wife, his children, his grand-children, and others.

When COVID was a struggle for so many, Ned and Betty still opened up their home to many visitors and especially those feeling the strains of isolation.

When looking at Ned one can see the reflection of the Savior caring for others in their times of need.

Ned is preceded in death by his daughter Laura in August 2014.

He is survived by his wife, Betty June Coccio Dalton of Moab, UT; children, Debbie (Gary) Blackburn of Stansbury Park, UT, Don (Irene) Dalton of Parker, CO, and son-in-law Kay (Laurie) Randall of Monticello, UT; grandchildren, Brad (Kristen) Randall, Todd (Kim) Randall, Suzane (Ben) Davis, Stephanie (Jake) Keller, Ben (Kylee) Blackburn, Adrienne (Adam) Whittle, James (Gloria) Blackburn, Kim (Ben) Ford, Hilary (Walter) Pippert, Spencer Dalton, Emily Dalton; great-grandchildren, Dalton Randall, MaKayla Randall, Melanie Randall, Cordell Randall, Logan Randall, Boyd Randall, Quinn Randall, Laura Sue Randall, Mellissa Davis, Jonathan Davis, Benjamin Joseph (BJ) Davis, Addison Davis, Sam Keller, Olivia Keller, Timothy Keller, Luke Whittle, Jacob Whittle, Jane Whittle, Dalton Whittle, Alex Whittle, Hiram Blackburn, Bowen Blackburn,
Jonah Blackburn, Adelyn Blackburn, Hailey Blackburn, Brooke Blackburn, Owen Blackburn, Lincoln Ford, Kathleen Dalton, Laura Dalton, Emma Dalton.

Ned is also survived by both of his sisters, LeeAnn Hinrichs of Ogallala, NE and LaVern Gustafson of Dufur, OR.

A viewing for Ned will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center on Friday, August 27, 2021 from 6 to 8 p.m. (701 Locust Lane, Moab, UT).

A second viewing will be held prior to the funeral on Saturday, August 28, 2021 from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.

The funeral will be held in the same location on Saturday, August 28, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Interment with military rites will be directly after the funeral at the Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Moab.

For those who cannot attend in person and would like to attend virtually, the funeral will be live-streamed on the Spanish Valley Mortuary Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SpanishValleyMortuary/) at 11 a.m. MDT on August 28, 2021.

You may send condolences to the family at www.SpanishValleyMortuary.com