Dale Thomas Clickner Sr.'s Obituary
Dale Thomas Clickner, Sr. of Denton, passed away on Monday, Feb. 24, 2014 at Caroline Nursing Home and Rehab in Denton. He was 83.
Born on Nov. 25, 1930 in New Brunswick, NJ, the son of the late Percy Peter Clickner and Elizabeth Ruskie Clickner.
He graduated from Highland Park High School, Highland Park, NJ class of 1949. He was a U.S. Army Veteran. Dale worked as a mechanic at several Ford dealerships in the Edison, NJ area and was highly skilled working on Ford automobiles and trucks.
He also put his mechanical skills to use as a stock car owner/driver, always sporting #32A originally assigned to him by NASCAR, at several NJ dirt and asphalt tracks, starting at Old Bridge in the mid-1950’s as part of the “old school” of racing where he and his competitors built everything on the stock cars they ran from the ground up, as well as Vineland, Wall, and Mount Holly until the mid-1960’s through the 1980’s when he gave up driving to be the owner for several top wheelmen in the region. He and his son Tom were featured in an article about the Clickner Family’s racing tradition in the April 28, 1998 edition of Area Auto Racing News, Trenton, NJ.
In 1988, after his retirement from Boro Motors in Edison, NJ he moved to a farm in Dorchester County. He made friends and became involved in racing at Delaware’s SeaCoast Speedway where he built motors for Scott Richards and Cliff Foskey.
In 2000 he moved to Cabin Creek where he enjoyed working in his shop until his vision failed. He enjoyed listening to country and bluegrass music and attending bluegrass concerts at American Corner. His cocker spaniel Dolly was his faithful companion.
Dale moved to Caroline Nursing and Rehab in Sept. 2011. He appreciated the superb care he received from the staff and administration there.
Dale is survived by his son Thomas, Jr., two grandsons, Thomas and Steven of Monmouth Junction, NJ, son James of Lakewood, NJ and a brother Richard of Califon, NJ. He is also survived by long-time friend, advisor and confidant Millicent Maloney.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a brother Peter Clickner and daughter-in-law Chrissy also of NJ. Both of his marriages ended in divorce.
At the family’s request, services will be private.
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