Dale Pohl, Eureka
Dale Pohl, former longtime district judge and lawyer in Eureka, died Monday, July 16, 2007, at his home in Las Cruces, N.M. He was 71.
Mr. Pohl practiced law for 33 years in Eureka and was district judge from 1999 until 2004. During his private practice, he served as the city attorney for 33 years and also was the Greenwood County counselor. He was appointed by Gov. Bill Graves as district judge of the 13th District in June 1999 and retired from that position in June 2004. After retirement, he and his wife moved to Las Cruces.
The son of Gus O. and Verna C. Haake Pohl, he was born May 19, 1936, in Emporia. He graduated with honors from Emporia High School in 1954 and from Emporia State University in 1957, completing his ESU education in three years by taking extra hours while working three part-time jobs. He received his master of public administration degree from the University of Kansas in 1959 and his juris doctorate from Washburn University in 1963, when he began his private practice in Eureka.
He married Diana Darden on July 27, 1980. She survives.
Mr. Pohl was a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Eureka and president of the church council. He served on the Board of Governors of the Kansas Bar Association and was elected president of that organization in 1989. He also served on the board of directors of Kansas Blue Cross/Blue Shield where he was vice president of the board. He was president of the Eureka School Board and was on the board of many civic and charitable organizations.
He is also survived by one daughter, Pam Close of The Woodlands, Texas; four sons, Scott Pohl of Wichita, Ken Pohl of Clearwater, Fla., Ryan Darden of New York, N.Y., and Aaron Darden of San Francisco, Calif.; and six grandchildren.
The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Peace Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, N.M. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Christ Lutheran Church in Eureka.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Border Servant Corps of Las Cruces in care of the Peace Lutheran Church, 1701 E. Missouri Ave., Las Cruces, NM 88801 or to P.O. Box 590, Eureka, KS 67045.