Dale Connors

By Dean Connors

Dale Connors was a chronic paranoid schizophrenic for most of the adult portion of his 53 years. Early on, Dale's paranoia and anger compelled him to alienate himself from his family, and forever afterward to avoid any kind of normal socialization. Even so, Dale managed to be well behaved, well groomed, well organized, able to take care of himself and carry on some sort of intellectual and artistic life for himself.

In his younger days, Dale graduated from MATC, and for a time he worked at Oscar Mayer. For most of his life he lived outdoors, always away from people, usually without friends or family. As he grew older, Dale mellowed and lost most of his hostility, making him a much more attractive and interesting character. The smile and sense of humor that had characterized his childhood returned. He had a bicycle, which he rode many miles each day in all kinds of weather. Some of the neighbors who recognized Dale bicycling along, even in the worst of Madison weather, referred to him as "the bicycle man" or "the toughest man in the world."

Dale spent time at the Pinney branch of the Library, quietly reading. He must have felt welcome there, because he returned often. In fact, on the night he was killed in a hit and run accident, Dale had been reading at the Pinney branch. Here is an observation sent to our family by someone who knew who he was - Andy saw Dale on Tuesday, the night he died while he was at the Pinney Library to check his e-mail. Dale was there also. Andy commented that in previous years Dale was always reading books about far away lands, as he was that night. Andy waved at Dale and Dale smiled back. Andy thought about him on his bike that night in the bitter cold and slushy weather and thought Dale was indeed "the toughest man in the world."

The library offers knowledge, imagination, warmth and safety to all kinds of people, even to special people like Dale whose mental disease makes it impossible for them to lead anything like a normal life. Most people who constantly have to struggle against forces are the ones least able to understand. Dale managed on his own to cope with those forces as well as anyone could. At the Pinney branch of the Library he must have felt welcome and comfortable, and for making that possible, the family of Dale Connors will always be most grateful.