Remembering one of our former member Tenors, Dale "Dr. Dale" Bieber
July 21, 1949 - May 2, 2021
Dale Bieber, 'Dr. Dale', as we called him in the group, went home to Jesus unexpectedly in a plane crash in May of 2021. As a member of our group for a number of years, Dr. Dale sang a soaring tenor that helped put the sparkle on many of the ringing chords in our songs. Among our group, Dr. Dale's introductions to songs during our many performances are some of the most remembered things about him for us. You never really knew where he was headed after his opening sentence, nor were we always certain what song we were supposed to sing next when he was done!
Dr. Dale's personality along with his passion for Christ, made him a magnet for audience adoration. He shared his great gift of love and witness for Christ through humor not only with us but also with his many medical patients and students. Dale's life-long selfless service to God and to his fellow man defined a rich character that will be held as a shining example to us all. The Master's Men mourn his loss and will miss not having him with us any longer as we continue our earthly life but we look forward to seeing him, and singing with him, in the presence of our Almighty God and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, someday in the sweet by and by.
(Excerpt from his obituary printed in the 'Iowa City Press-Citizen') Dale was born July 21, 1947 in Phoenixville, PA to Charles M. Bieber and Mary Beth High. At the age of 4, he moved to Nigeria with his missionary parents, receiving the majority of his early education in the Hillcrest School, Jos, Nigeria. He returned to the United States in time to complete his junior and senior year at Central Dauphin East High School. High school was followed by Elizabethtown College, where he played soccer and earned a BS in psychology. Next came an 18-month stent in Poland as part of a Brethren Voluntary Service. Upon returning to the United States, Dale completed an MS in Physiology followed by a medical degree (MD) at Penn State Hershey.
Residency training led him to the University of Rochester where he became board certified in both Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, enabling him to practice the cradle to grave care he loved. Dale enrolled in the Public Health Service program through which young doctors worked in medically underserved areas in return for debt forgiveness. He chose to start a practice in Fredericksburg, Pa. in 1980 and was one of the few doctors who actually stayed in the area and built the practice which has grown into the Fredericksburg Family Health Center. In 1988-89, he returned to Nigeria on a sabbatical and taught medicine and pediatrics at the University of Maiduguri Medical School.
After meeting his soon-to-be spouse (Carla Nester), he moved to North Carolina in 2000 to try his hand at academic primary care. He took on an active internal medicine and pediatric practice as well as resident and student teaching, becoming the Associate Program Director of the Med-Peds Training Program at UNC.
North Carolina was followed by a move to Iowa in 2007 where he continued to build on all of his previous experiences. At the time of his death, Dale was a Clinical Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Iowa - becoming one of the most sought-after providers at Iowa River Landing practice. Through his passion for teaching, he had a profound impact on generations of medical students and residents at Iowa. As director of the ambulatory core elective, Dale's talents as an educator were legendary. In 2011, he received the Collegiate Teaching Award, one of the department's highest honors for educators.
Dale was well known for his belief in the power of forming tangible connections with both his patients and his students. He sought to have a lasting and beneficial impact on every person he met. His good humor, the deep kindness and attention he showed others are but a few of the qualities that will be deeply missed. Dale loved to sing, and his rich voice was regularly heard and appreciated in barbershop and choral groups.
