DALE'S PROMISE

Dale Ressler stands as a shining example of the profound impact that the Code of Values has on the entire DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen community.

In the heart of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, a remarkable man named Dale Ressler stands as a shining example of the profound impact that the Code of Values has on the entire DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen community. Dale, a Franchise Coach, and former DreamMaker Franchisee, has always worn many hats. Perhaps one of the most rewarding roles he has been proud to say he has had, though, has always simply been living out the Code of Values. Dale’s journey with DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, even now, is a testament to the culture and sense of purpose that exemplifies how any DreamMaker franchisee does business.

Dale served as a DreamMaker Franchisee Owner for 15 years until he joined the Corporate team as a full-time Franchise Coach and serves as the Director of Franchise Operations. His past experience as a franchisee as well as a former first responder gave him plenty of wisdom and insight in how to mentally prepare and fully coach franchise business owners for success in the DreamMaker franchise. Over the years growing with DreamMaker, Dale has had many great memories of improving lives and enhancing homes in Elizabethtown as a franchisee. One story in particular really sticks out, though.

About 12 years ago, Dale took a call at his Design Center from a woman named Mary. Little did he know, Mary would have a great impact on Dale and his entire family. Mary explained, “I’m 70 years old, and I’m interested in getting my kitchen and bathroom done. If I like you, we’ll do business.” Shortly after that, Mary set up an appointment and came to the Design Center. After learning more about DreamMaker and talking with Dale, she decided she liked him enough to give him her business.

After getting to know her throughout a year of the remodeling projects of the master bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room, he came to learn that Mary was truly an amazing person. They would talk a lot about life and their different life experiences. Dale came to learn they both shared a common ground in their healthcare backgrounds. She was previously a professor of nursing. She also had an interesting hobby at her age; she built dollhouses - from scratch. She had a basement full of tools, and it was quite evident she had a lot of knowledge of how to build things. Dale had also learned that Mary was a lifetime Girl Scout just like his wife, Bobbi.

When Dale finished up the final job, collected payment, and was about to leave, with his hand on the door, Mary stopped Dale and asked him if he was a minister.

“As a matter of fact, I am.” Dale responded.

“I thought so. Just the way you talked, and carried yourself and said some things.” Replied Mary.

“Why do you ask?” Dale replied.

“In the event of my demise, would you consider officiating my burial?” Mary asked.

“I would be honored to do that, but you don’t have to wait until you’re dead to have a pastor.”

“Huh, I never thought about that,” Mary replied.

At the time, Dale had recently started a church near where he lived a few years prior. Mary lived about 30 minutes away and Dale asked if she wanted to talk more about her faith and come to the church. Beginning her faith journey, she began to come to Dale and his wife Bobbi’s church and became a very faithful churchgoer. Just after Mary had come to faith in Christ, Dale had learned she had cancer.

A little bit later, Dale’s daughter-in-law was in the hospital with his granddaughter Sage due to unforeseen health complications, while Mary was in the same hospital at the same time, in the oncology wing. Dale and Bobbi went to visit her while they were there and as Mary was a very unselfish person, she insisted that they go see their granddaughter, and not worry about her.

And then there was the Dollhouse. Mary’s latest project was a two-story, cape-cod colonial Dollhouse. Everything was made out of wood. By this time, she couldn’t finish it. She asked Dale if he could finish it and donate it to the Penn State Hospital in the name of Sage, Dale’s granddaughter, to which Dale had replied, “Mary, if that’s what you want, I’ll see to it that we get that done.”

Mary became more and more ill and was confined to her bed at this point. She must have known her time was close and she had called Dale to ask if he could bring communion to her house. So, he did, he took the elements in and served her the bread, and juice, read some scripture, and took her through the process of communion. This was also a time that Dale was struggling with his faith a bit after everything with his granddaughter’s unforeseen illness and subsequent death. Dale prayed, said Amen and looked at Mary. She had her eyes shut, her hands folded and she had the biggest grin on her face. Dale asked if she was okay. And she replied, “Oh, I am! I see Jesus. Thank you so much, Dale, for doing that.” She said a lot of really nice things to Dale about him and his wife Bobbi. She later passed away that week.

Dale served her funeral twice. The first funeral service was shortly after she passed for friends and family that were local. Another six months later, Mary’s family had Dale come to Johnstown, about two hours away.

As the family went on to clean the house, Dale was tasked to grab the dollhouse and all that was associated with it “the Dollhouse stuff” which turned out to be a trailer full of furniture, miniature doors, shingles, wood, siding, windows, banisters, furniture, all kinds of pieces of materials. Dale set it all up in his basement. His now second grandchild had just passed away 10 days after Mary’s due to, again, unforeseen medical conditions. Dale let the doll house sit for a while. He didn’t have it in him to do anything with it. But, he wanted to honor Mary and he had made her a promise. He checked around to many places. There was a retirement village with a woodshop on site, so we went out to the wood shop, and the volunteers who worked there were compelled to finish the dollhouse after hearing the story. They finished it in about 2 months.

Now, Dale had to take the dollhouse to the hospital, but they said they couldn’t take it because it was too many small parts for kids that they could chew on, and choke on, and it was too much of a liability. Dale had never had such a challenge to carry out a wish for someone. He later tried the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia. Dale thought he had a place there for it but for the same reason as before, they too could not take it, as it was too much liability for them.

Dale then contacted the hospice center in Lancaster because they have a big auction every year. When he got there, a nurse came out and looked at the dollhouse and instantly started crying and said that she and her dad used to make dollhouses together and it reminded her of him. The executive director came out and saw it and immediately loved it. Dale had typed up a story about Mary and Sage and put it together with the Doll House and they ended up auctioning it off - Sage and Mary’s story got told and is now in great hands. Thank you to both Dale and Mary for living out the Code of Values. 

More about Dale Ressler:

Dale Ressler is DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen Remodeling Franchise’s Corporate Director of Franchise Operations, overseeing and leading the Coaching Department, developing training systems, and coaching franchisees to engage DreamMaker business systems successfully and profitably. He holds an EPA Lead Certification as well as an Aging in Place certification and is a Pennsylvania-licensed Home Improvement Contractor.

When he’s not being a franchise coach, Dale enjoys drag racing with his dragster. He also is a volunteer chaplain with Racers for Christ serving NHRA Drag Racing. A licensed paramedic, Dale is president of the board of directors for EMS Organization with 69 employees.

Dale earned a Moody Bible Institute diploma. He and his wife, Bobbi, have been married for more than 40 years. Their son and daughter are both married but live in the local area. “I love hanging out with my kids and their spouses,” he said.