Canton Obituary: Dale Munroe, 83

Dale Bishop Munroe, of Collinsville, beloved husband of Kathleen Munroe, passed away on March 25, 2017, after a short period of declining health.

Dale was born on November 27, 1933, in Providence, RI, to Leroy and Jewel (Bishop) Munroe. As a boy, he lived in several New England towns, predominantly Newburyport, MA, which he considered his hometown. Upon his graduation from Newburyport High School in 1951, he fulfilled his childhood dream of playing professional baseball and enjoyed two successful seasons pitching in the minor league system of the St. Louis Browns before a shoulder injury curtailed his career. He proudly served his country as a combat veteran of the U.S. Army in the Korean War, where he was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Dale was a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and Boston College Law School. He built a career in the insurance industry, including management positions at Travelers Insurance Company. In 1980, he founded Munroe Associates, LLC, an insurance consulting firm, in which he remained active for the rest of his life. He also served his community through appointments on the Canton Zoning Board and as Chair of the Canton Housing Authority.

Dale was a tournament cribbage player and loved a good poker game. He had a keen interest in cars and maintained his own meticulously. Following in his mother’s footsteps, he was a lifelong devoted Red Sox fan, and, in his later years, he never missed a UConn women’s basketball game.

In addition to his wife, Dale is survived by his four children: Marsha Reny and her husband Bob, of North Berwick, ME; Valerie Vigneault and her husband, Joe, of Amesbury, MA; Thomas Munroe and his wife, Anita, of Thousand Oaks, CA; and Jon Munroe, of Newburyport, MA. He also is survived by eight grandchildren: Erika Leach; Mandy (Leach) Brocksmith and her husband Rich; Shannon Vigneault; Joey Vigneault; Maggie (Munroe) Guy and her husband Chad; Taylor Munroe; Fallon Munroe; and Kerrie Munroe; and by two great-grandchildren, Chase and Harper Brocksmith. He also leaves his “pen-pal” cousin, Jake Bishop, of South Hadley, MA, and a host of caring friends.

Dale’s family will receive visitors on Friday, March 31, 2017, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Ahern Funeral Home at 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville. Funeral services will be private.

Donations in Dale’s memory may be made to Foodshare, 450 Woodland Ave., Bloomfield, CT 06002.

It is with profound sadness that we bid farewell to our beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. Our lives have been deeply enriched by his love, and he will live in our hearts forever.