William Keck Dalton, 93, of West Lafayette, Indiana, passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, March 18, 2023, surrounded by his five children. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on June 19, 1929 to Elizabeth Keck Dalton and Donald Goss Dalton, Sr., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He was proceeded in death by his parents, as well as by his brother, Donald Goss Dalton, Jr., and by his wife of 68 years, Marilyn Lopez Dalton, who died in 2020.

William, known as “Bill”, is survived by daughter, Lynn Dalton Young (Jeff) of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; daughter, Elizabeth Dalton Dickerson (Don) of Fishers, Indiana; son, Hector Alan Dalton (Beth) of Naples, Florida; daughter, Stephanie Dalton Garwood (Brad) of Brownsburg, Indiana; and daughter, Leslie Dalton Gray of West Lafayette, Indiana. In addition, he is survived by 15 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.

Bill graduated from Mount Lebanon High School before attending Cornell University where he earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree in 1952.  He subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science degree in the field of Industrial Management from Carnegie Institute of Technology and a Master of Science degree from Purdue University.  Bill participated in the ROTC program while a student at Cornell. Upon graduation, he served in the United States Air Force, teaching Communications at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois during the Korean War.

Following his military service, Bill worked for the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) for 32 years in engineering and production management capacities with assignments in Pittsburgh, Australia, Los Angeles, and in Lafayette, Indiana.  After retiring from Alcoa, Bill became a tenured professor at Purdue University teaching metallurgy in the School of Technology.  He earned numerous awards for excellence in teaching from both his students and from tenured faculty colleagues and was recognized upon retirement from Purdue in 2004 as Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering Technology.

Bill was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather who delighted in his family. He was a dedicated life-long learner, was passionate about sharing his knowledge with others and was a mentor to many.  He was a storyteller. He loved poetry and classical music and the great outdoors.  Bill was a man of faith which was evidenced in the way he lived his life.

The family wishes to thank Bill’s caregivers from Home Care by Design and Elara Hospice Care for their faithful support and compassionate care over the last years and months of his life.  The family also wishes to thank the physicians and staff at IU Health Arnett, particularly Dr. Scott Miethke and the Connected Care staff, for the superb care they rendered to Bill and to Marilyn over the years.

A private family memorial service will be held to celebrate Bill’s life on Saturday, April 1.  Following the service, the family will welcome friends who wish to pay their respects at a reception in the fellowship hall of Covenant Church, 211 Knox Drive, West Lafayette, between 2:00pm and 4pm (please enter the church through Door 8). In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Covenant Church Children’s Ministry, 211 Knox Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906; Samaritan’s Purse, P O Box 3000, Boone, North Carolina 28607 or online; or to the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) either online or at P O Box 61420 Staten Island, New York 10306 or online.  If mailing a check, please specify William Keck Dalton Memorial on memo line.