David Dale Strimple

David Dale Strimple, 77, a longtime educator and technology specialist with the North Attleboro Public Schools, died Sunday, June 27, 2021, at his home in Plainville, MA, surrounded by his loving family.
Born on February 5, 1944, in Rochester, NY, he was the son of the late Dale and Clare (Barnard) Strimple.
Raised in Alden, NY, he graduated in 1961 as valedictorian of Alden Central High School. He would earn a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Rochester in 1965, a master's degree in Psychology from the State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport in 1967, and his Massachusetts teaching certificate from Boston State College.
David was an avid reader, photographer, and do-it-yourself repairman. He enjoyed hosting family picture nights with a slide projector in the kitchen or living room. He loved taking apart electronics, figuring out how they worked, and putting them back together. His workshops were often located wherever he could find the space, sometimes tucked in a corner of his children's bedrooms.
He enjoyed attending off-Broadway shows in Boston with his granddaughter, Jessica, and going on cruises to Bermuda and the Bahamas. He was an avid bowler and a New England Patriots fan, and loved traveling, and summertime camping on the Cape with family and friends-first in tents, then in a pop-up trailer, and later in his Roadtrek van.
He loved his family, and they were the center of his life. He taught his children to love and respect others. He taught his children that education and hard work were important, and to never attempt to do a task halfway. He would quiz his children about their homework or summer reading and send them back to do more research if they couldn't answer his questions correctly. He spent his summers repairing and maintaining the family home, and expected Damien, his son, and Cassandra and Gena, his daughters, to help. Damien was an enthusiastic apprentice on these home improvement projects; Cassandra and Gena somewhat less so.
Some lessons didn't take. One summer, David tried to teach Gena and Damien to swim at Cape Cod. He fitted them in life jackets, put them on a raft and pulled them away from shore. He told them to swim to the beach. There were many tears shed, but not much swimming, and even less learning.
David was always involved in his kids' lives, constantly asking about what they were learning, about their friends and activities; and later, about their spouses, their kids, and their jobs. He enjoyed family dinners and barbecues, occasionally making up a reason to get together: "So, what are we doing for Groundhog Day?"  David ultimately learned how to bake his own bread, and those loaves became the center of many a family meal.
David loved learning about the latest technology, but on a budget. He was a cautious spender, researching at length for the best deal and quality products. David would regularly visit the old Lechmere department store, buy some new gadget, use it for a week or so, then return it in favor of another. Later in life he liked having the newest and best tablet or smartphone. He always wanted to be the first person to buy a new technology for a loved one, like an Apple watch for his daughter Gena, or a tablet for granddaughter Kayle.
At heart, David was a teacher. He started his career in education as a fourth-grade teacher in Brockport, NY, while also teaching at SUNY Brockport. In the early 1970s, he moved his family to Massachusetts and began working for the North Attleboro Public Schools, first as a special education teacher and later as a technology specialist. As a junior high school /special education teacher he had a profound impact on so many students. He started the school's first AV Club. Even years later, former students would seek him out to thank him for his counsel and mentorship.
In the 1990s David became the technology specialist for the North Attleboro Public Schools. He wired up the entire North Attleboro School Department for the Internet. The job leaned on his talents for understanding technology and making it work as inexpensively as possible.
He retired from the school system in 2012.
David is survived by his daughter, Cassandra Hill and his son-in-law, Ken, of North Attleboro, MA; his daughter, Gena Mohan and his son-in-law, Stephen, of Plainville, MA; his son, Damien Strimple and his daughter-in-law, Brooke, of Knoxville, TN.; his grandchildren: Jessica Hill-Bates and her husband, Christopher; Kayle Hill, Emma Strimple, Elijah Strimple, and Aishwarya Roy, as well as several nieces and nephews.
He is survived by his siblings: Barry Strimple and his wife, Leigh, of Brockport, NY; Dale K. "Skip" Strimple and his wife, Jean, of Texas; Teresa (Strimple) Arent and her husband, James, of Florida; and Dennis Strimple and his wife, Elizabeth, also of Florida.
He also leaves behind his love, Donna Fougere of North Attleboro; his best friends, Emily and Bob Nicodemus of Norfolk; and many friends and former co-workers.
Family and friends are cordially invited to honor Dave by attending Visitation in the "Memorial Chapel" of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro, MA, on Saturday, July 3, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 Noon, immediately followed by a time of Family Reflections at 12:00 Noon at Dyer-Lake Funeral Home.
Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Dave's memory to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 or online at www.pancan.org or to Wikipedia at the Wikimedia Foundation, P.O. Box 98204, Washington, DC 20090-8204 or online at www.wikimediafoundation.org
For additional information or to send the family a written expression of sympathy, please visit an online guest book at www.dyer-lakefuneralhome.com .
Arrangements are under the direction of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleborough. (508) 695-0200