Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif. " Dale Irving Purtle, 89, was born in Glen Carbon, Illinois, on Dec. 21, 1924, and died at his home Saturday morning, Aug. 30, 2014, following a brief illness. Cause of death was respiratory failure resulting from pulmonary aspiration.

A scientific linguist, Dale built a career on his lifelong love of languages. Raised speaking Czech, German and English, he was assigned to Navy intelligence units monitoring German radio transmissions in Corsica and North Africa in WWII. Returning to the University of Illinois with his newly acquired knowledge of French, he changed majors from Biology to French Literature, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1948. He pursued graduate studies in linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California-Berkley, spending summers doing fieldwork with the Blackfeet Tribe in Montana.

Dale sought every opportunity to learn to speak more of the world's languages. In 1951, he left Berkley to join the Voice of America where he served successfully as the Chief of the Georgian, Vietnamese, and Urdu Services. To study and develop Cambodian language material, Dale became a Language Officer in the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. As an advisor to Radiodiffusion National Khemere, he established their English language radio service and served as consultant to the Cambodian Ministry of Information.

In 1962, the U.S. Department of State appointed him Regional Language Supervisor for Southeast Asia. Based in Phnom Penh and Bangkok, Thailand, he was responsible for language programs, including those of the Peace Corps, in seven countries. He returned to Washington in 1966 and was named Director of East Asian Division of the State Department's Foreign Service Institute, which included responsibility for Southeast Asia. In 1968, he was appointed director of American University's Asian Language Center.

Dale's interest in world languages sustained his career. Returning to government service in 1972, he was chairman of the Multi Languages Department, Defense Language Institute, Washington, D.C. From 1975 until his retirement, Dale was Course Developer at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and in Heidelberg, Germany, directing team projects at both sites.

Dale was raised in a Czech freethinking family that instilled in him a probing curiosity and critical intelligence. A kind man with integrity, Dale could be quiet and reserved. But Dale was also an engaging raconteur with a great sense of humor, telling stories so funny listeners laughed until they cried; he also enjoyed a lively debate about religion or politics. He loved road trips beginning with his graduate fieldwork in California, Mexico, and Montana. With his wife, he drove a Land Rover over the roads of Southeast Asia to visit the countries of the region. After his retirement in 1997 with 45 years of federal government service, he and his wife resumed road tripping around the world.

Dale kept his love of languages and his ability to speak to the end, learning Tongan from his caregiver and conversing with nurses in Tagalog during his final illness. Both gave him much pleasure.

Dale was preceded by his parents, James W. Purtle and Jennie Krotz Purtle; his step-mother and aunt, Julia Krotz Purtle, and an infant daughter.

Surviving are his wife, Velda Mae "Mazie: Primas Purtle whom he married in Saigon, South Viet Nam on Sept. 18, 1962; their daughter, Jennifer Purtle, a professor Chinese art history at the University of Toronto; and her husband, Ryan Whyte, a professor of French art history at OCAD University, Toronto.

The family would like to express their appreciation to Tupou Manoa who lovingly helped us care for him.

A celebration of his life will take place at Sunset Hill Funeral Home, Glen Carbon, at noon, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014, with Fr. Steve Pohlman officiating. Burial will follow.