Dallas D. "Dal" Lassen, a resident of Ashe County, NC for 30 years, died on March 17 in his Ashe Lake home, surrounded by loving family members. Dallas was born on July 29, 1927 in Mt. Pulaski, IL, son of John H. and Estella Fern (Clem) Lassen. As a young child, his family moved to New Castle, IN. He was predeceased by his parents, five brothers and sisters, and two wives. Dallas is survived by his wife of 31 years, Sandra Lake (Newton) Lassen; four daughters, Jeri Nichols (Robert) of West Jefferson; Gale Clare (Nick) of Louisville, KY; Jody Yurochko of West Jefferson; and Elizabeth Evans of Troy, OH. He is also survived by two stepsons, Jarrod Miller (Jennifer) of Lake Mary, FL and Jason Miller (Sherri) of Leesburg, FL; four grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He proudly served in the US Air Force at the end of World War II, graduating from technical schools in drafting and diesel engineering. After his discharge, Dallas became Chief Draftsman at H and A Selmer Company in New Castle, IN; Assistant Chief Engineer at New Castle Products; and later Manager of Contracts for HH Robertson Company, Connersville, IN. He relocated to Pittsburgh, PA as HH Robertson's Manager of Estimating and Engineering until his retirement. While working for HH Robertson Company, he designed a new exterior metal wall system and received both US and Canadian patents for his design. He attended the University of Wisconsin, the University of Cincinnati and Earlham College. After moving to West Jefferson, Dallas worked locally for TW Howell Construction Company as Project Manager for the building addition to Bald Mountain Baptist Church and later for Ashley Hardwood Flooring in sales. Dallas loved live theater and performed in civic theater productions in Indiana and Florida. He was a twenty-year volunteer genealogical researcher for Ashe County Public Library's Heritage Room, which houses the Lassen Collection of genealogical material; a co-founder of The Blue Ridge Writers Group; a proud member of PFLAG; a fervent Democrat; and a supporter of animal rights. He was a free-lance writer with published work in national and regional magazines and newspapers and a frequent contributor to Wordkeepers with his entertaining and insightful writings in poetry and prose. Ever true to his "get it right" philosophy, Dallas wrote most of his own obituary, as well. Later this year, there will be a Remembrance Gathering for "The Great Dane" with music, laughter, poetry and libations, as befits a man who often remarked, "If you have to have something, fun's the best." Dallas was a Depression era child and often hungry. He could not bear to see a person or animal suffer. Donations in his name would be welcomed to any local food pantry; to the Ashe Humane Society, PO Box 1776, West Jefferson, NC 28694; to Ashe County Animal Control, 767 Fred Pugh Road, Crumpler, NC 28617; or to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill, SW, Lilburn GA 30047. Boone Family Funeral Home of West Jefferson is in charge of these arrangements.