Obituary of Christine Marie Dale

Christine Marie (Mitch) Dale, affectionately known as grandma, mom, sis, babe, fritz, Chris, and Mitch, passed away suddenly on March 31, 2023, at her home in Summerfield, Florida. She was 44 years young. Christine was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in October 1978 to Daniel and Linda Lee (Chalfont) Mitch. The oldest of two children, Christine moved to Marion County with her parents and sister when she was 5 years old. Though she considered herself a Florida girl, Chris kept her roots close and proudly shared her love of Philly; always boasting about her favorite team, the Eagles. She had a long career in the hospitality industry- most notably with Papa Johns Pizza. Her well-rounded knowledge and skills landed her the title of General Manager where she launched several restaurants throughout the county and was a committed mentor and colleague. Family and friends were the center of Christine’s world, and she made it easy for people to love her! With her genuinely caring persona and selflessness she always put other’s needs before her own. She was patient yet fierce, had an infectious smile with a contagious laugh, and had one hell of a sense of humor. Chris left people in tears from laughing so much- even her sarcasm never left a dull moment! Most impressively, when Christine loved someone, she truly loved them deeply. She was dedicated to her daughters, Beccah and Cassie, and revolved her life around them; she would instantly drop what she was doing just to spend time with her girls. Christine was a proud grandmother! Her grandson Kai gave her purpose, and she always bragged about him to whomever listened or read her Facebook status. Chris even had true love! She found happiness, was cared for, and was loved unconditionally by her best friend David, whom she said “yes” to and planned on marrying him later this year. Halloween was Christine’s favorite holiday, which was also the title of her favorite movie franchise. She was a huge moviegoer, especially of the horror genre. She also loved films from the 80’s. Chris was an avid reader and had a plethora of books. Her favorite author was Stephen King- and yes, she read all his books! Christine’s other hobbies were playing billiards and gardening. As a Scorpio, Chris was naturally drawn to water- which is fitting because her favorite color was blue, and she had piercing deep-blue colored eyes. She was guaranteed to be at the springs or the beach! Christine is survived by her father, Daniel Mitch, Jr. of Summerfield, FL; her daughter, Rebeccah (Dale) Lindsey, her husband Ian and their son, Malakai of Ocala, FL; her daughter Cassandra Dale of Ocala, FL; her sister Danielle (Mitch) Harris, her husband Roderick and their two children- Gabrielle and Braylon- of Fredericksburg, VA; and her fiancé, Floyd David Buchanan of Summerfield, FL. Christine also leaves behind many cousins, aunts and uncles, and numerous friends along with her extended Papa Johns and Ocala Jaycees families. She was predeceased by her loving mother Linda; maternal grandparents Elwood “Bud” and Delores (Elliott) Chalfont; paternal grandparents Daniel and Betty (Van Horn) Mitch; uncles Michael Mitch and Guy Doney; and cousin Jeremy Mitch. The family will receive friends at Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services, 5946 SE Robinson Road, Belleview, FL 34420 on Friday, April 14, 2023, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM followed by a Celebration of Life service at 2:00PM on April 14, 2023. The Celebration of Life will be webcast at https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/175263078. Condolences may be left at Hiers-Baxley.com