Burdette R. Dabell

Burdette R DaBell of Idaho Falls died at his home on 21 May 2014. He was born 25 June 1930 in Idaho Falls to Emmett Warren and Elma Rounds DaBell. He grew up in the Grant and Lewisville areas, helped his dad and uncle Wayne with the sheep during the winter lambing season, and spent summers with his dad herding sheep in Spencer and Island Park. He attended grade school at Grant, and high school at Midway High School, and graduated from Idaho Falls High School. Burdette married Dorothy LaVern Williams on September 16, 1948. They were later divorced. In the early ‘50s he ran Fairway Service. Then he joined Philips Petroleum Co. at the now INL where he worked for various contractors from 1956 to 1991. He worked on the SPERT and PBF reactors. In 1985 and 1986 he assisted in the investigation of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. He was a senior project manager on many other projects at INL. In 1971 he was a founding partner in Solitude Sports, Inc. After retirement, he travelled in Mexico and the Southwest. He eventually decided that the Southwest was the place to spend winters. He and Patricia Mekker bought land west of Wickenburg, Arizona where they built a real adobe house. They spent winters there and summers at their cabin at Palisades. In 2010 they returned to Idaho Falls. Soon after, Burdette was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Burdette enjoyed reading, building, backpacking, canoeing, skiing and anything to do with mountains. He was always studying, seeking knowledge and learning. In recent years, he and Pat devoted much of their time and energy to helping his sister and her husband cope with their health problems. Burdette’s long-time companion Patricia Mekker survives him. Other survivors include his sons Richard (Mollie) of Santa Monica, California, and Bradley (Sheila) of Idaho Falls. His grandson is Bijan DaBell and his granddaughter is Cathleen Smith; he has four great grandchildren. Burdette’s sister Sheryn Leavitt (Boyd), and his brother Jerry DaBell (Christy) also survive him. A sister Alona and his parents preceded him in death. The funeral will be held 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, 24 May 2014, at Eckersell Memorial Chapel in Rigby. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.eckersellfuneralhome.com