Dale Emile Bernelle

Funeral services for Dale Emile Bernelle, 66, of Monroe, will be held at 2:00 PM Tuesday, February 6, 2018, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home, Sterlington Road, Monroe. Interment will follow at Lone Cherry Cemetery, Mangham, LA. Visitation will be Monday from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the funeral home.

Mr. Bernelle was born in Mangham, LA on August 27, 1951, to Fannie Cora Hardy and Emile Prosper Bernelle, and passed away Thursday, February 1, 2018. He attended Shady Grove Elementary in Monroe, then Ouachita Parish Jr. High School. After graduating Jr. High, Dale attended Ouachita Parish High School. During this time in high school, Dale also attended Civil Air Patrol. The summer of Dale’s 16th year of age, he attended Elkins’ Radio Institute, taking and passing his FCC 1st Class Radio Telephone License with Radar Endorsement. During high school, Dale also studied for his FAA Private Pilot Single Engine Land License and passed his private pilot test at the age of 17. He also worked part-time at KUZN-TV, KUZN-AM/KUZN-FM broadcast stations. Later, before graduating, Dale worked part-time at KMLB-AM/KMLB-FM. After graduating high school, Dale attended Southwestern Louisiana University at Lafayette, working at KXKW-AM radio, before transferring to Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe. Dale was again employed at KMLB-AM/KMLB-FM as an assistant broadcast engineer. After working several years for the International Alliance Theatre Stage Employees and Motion Picture Operators, at several local movie theatres and various local stages (Monroe Civic Center and Shreveport Civic Center). Dale then moved to Baton Rouge, LA in 1975, where he was hired by South Central Bell, into Operator Services. After a while, the company name was changed to Bell South, and Dale continued working in Operator Service, later transferring to Electronic Telephonic Switching Technology as a 1st level supervisor. In 1980, Dale transferred to Lafayette, LA as a Switching Equipment Technician. In just a few years Dale was transferred to Shreveport, LA as a Switching Equipment Technician. After gaining experience with many models of AT&T/Western Electric electronic switchers, Dale was transferred, as a 1st level supervisor, to the AT&T National Electronic System Assistance Center near Bell Labs in Naperville, IL. In 1989, Dale accepted a position at AT&T Bell Labs in Naperville, IL, as a software and technology manager. The specialty was the first commercial speech recognition application, known as Voice Recognition Call Processing. Dale was promoted to a 2nd level manager (Bell Labs Senior Member of Technical Staff). While in the area, Dale took advantage of the high-quality education in the Naperville area. Dale attended North Central College from 1991 to 1996, graduating with a B.S. in Computer Science and attended George Washington University – School of Business, working toward earning a Masters Certificate in Project/Program Management during 1995 to 1997. Several years later Dale also accepted the additional responsibility of Technology Manager for Operator Service Processing System, an electronic switching machine allowing human and automated operator intervention during the telephone calls. Dale’s mother died in 2000, 2 years after Dale was able to join his mother, to help care for her, living in Monroe while still working for AT&T Bell Labs as a remote reporting employee. Dale retired from AT&T Labs in 2004. After retirement, Dale had several rental properties, which he actively managed.

Dale was preceded in death by his sister, Shelby Antley.

Survivors include nephews, Daniel and Micah Antley; and niece, Tabitha Antley.

Online Registry/Condolences: www.mulhearnfuneralhome.com

Mulhearn Funeral Home
Sterlington Road
Monroe, LA