Mr. Gordon McKay Dalton, also known as “Mack” and “Shorty,” was born in Iredell County, N.C., on October 12, 1935, to the late Clarence and Estie Mae Holmes Dalton. He peacefully entered eternal rest on Friday, January 5, 2024, at The Greens at Maple Leaf in Statesville, N.C.
Mack attended the Iredell County Schools and joined Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Hamptonville at an early age and was a member of the choir. He was employed by Muffler King, D & D Glass and the U.S. Postal Service for many years. He was also an independent truck owner and made deliveries throughout the United States. Mack was drafted into the U.S. Army on July 13, 1955, and served honorably until July 12, 1957. He was a member of the Masonic Order in Jamaica, New York. Shorty lived in New York for approximately 50 years. He was united in marriage to the late Jean Jeanette Berry Dalton on September 30, 1962. He returned to North Carolina after his retirement in 1998.
Shorty loved bowling, fishing and hunting. He and his sister, Shirley, enjoyed many hours fishing on the bank, chewing tobacco and telling various fishing stories about how “big” the last fish that was caught. He also enjoyed fishing on the boat with his brothers, Craig and Opah, and his nephew, Billy. Shorty told many stories about his deer hunting trips in upstate New York with his buddies. He was the comedian at all family gatherings and always fun to be around. Shorty was a great cook and his wife, along with everyone present, enjoyed his meals.
In addition to his parents, Gordon was preceded in death by his wife Jean and six of his siblings. They were Mary Belle Dalton (Everette Melvin) Ramseur, Bobbie Jean Dalton (Robert) Morrison O’Garro, Clarence Dalton Sr., Shirley Mae Dalton (Robert) Smyre, Opah Reid Dalton and Yvonne Dalton (Kenneth) Waddell.
Gordon leaves to cherish his memories his son, Allen (Cheryl) Dalton; his daughter, Jacklyn Teresa Owens; and his stepsons, Kevin and Burnell Berry. His grandchildren are Ebony (Tobias) Daniels, Ebony (James) Casley, Renee, Gregory and Shaton Johnson, and Preston Henry “Peanut” Deese. He is survived by his great grandchildren, Justine Daniels, Jalen and Caden Casley, and JustIn (Ariel) Johnson; and great, great grandchildren, Justin Jr. and Valerie Johnson. Also left to cherish his memory are three siblings, George Franklin (Sierra) Dalton Sr., William Craig (Beatrice) Dalton and Maxine Dalton (Lee, deceased) Colden. He has one brother-in-law, Jacob O’Garro. Gordon is also survived by several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Two of his nieces, Deborah Dalton-Holmes and Judith Dalton Felder, were very devoted to helping and caring for Shorty. Tony (Vanessa) LeBlanc, a friend of several decades, will also cherish the memories of times spent with Shorty.
Rutledge & Bigham Mortuary is serving the family.