LITTLETON, Colo. — Dalton L. Strickland, 61, of Littleton, formerly of the Arapahoe and Beaver City, Neb., area, died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at his home.

Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at First United Methodist Church in Arapahoe with the Rev. Becky Saddler officiating. Inurnment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Beaver City. Cremation was chosen. Wenburg Funeral Home in Arapahoe is in charge of arrangements.

Dalton was born on March 5, 1953, to Clifford H. and Bonnie J. (Helton) Strickland in McCook, Neb.

As a youth, Dalton lived on the Strickland homestead southwest of Beaver City with his parents and brothers. As he grew older, the family moved to the community of Arapahoe, along with brief periods of residing in Arcadia, Kearney and Lexington, Neb. Dalton participated in Boy Scouts, baseball and band, just to name a few of his boyhood activities.

As he became a teenager, he worked for Bailey’s Sports Shop in Lexington. Thus began his motorcycle racing career. He raced on many flat track and motocross racing circuits in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma. As his racing career ended, Dalton continued as a certified AMA motorcycle mechanic for Sun Honda in Denver until 1978.

In summer 1978, Dalton changed career paths and began working alongside his father in the construction business for Holloway Construction Co. as a heavy equipment operator. Dalton moved to George West, Texas, where he worked on the Choke Canyon Dam Project. During this time, he met Hattie Sue Ware, and they were married April 21, 1981. Out of this union, their daughter, Sarah June, was born and his stepdaughter, Michelle (Ware) Brown, entered his life.

In August 1982, Dalton and his family moved back to the metro Denver area. Dalton continued to work construction; however, he felt the need to better his life and further his education and career opportunity. Dalton attended ITT Technical College and graduated in 1986, near the top of his class, with an associate’s degree in electronics engineering. After graduation, Dalton worked at Martin Marietta where he worked on many projects for NASA and on Department of Defense contracts.

During a brief time, as Martin Marietta reorganized, Dalton worked again in construction. He returned to the newly reorganized Lockheed Martin, once again in his position working in the Division of Aeronautics Space Engineering, as an electrical engineer, again on many projects for NASA and the DOD until the day of his passing. Throughout his career, he furthered his education and obtained his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Colorado Mountain College.

Dalton enjoyed music, playing his guitar, camping on his mountain property in his teepee, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fly fishing/fishing and hunting. The past five years of his life, Dalton met his best friend, his confidant, his soul mate, Dinna Ramos of Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. They married on Dec. 8, 2013.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He leaves to mourn his passing his wife, Dinna Ramos of Los Banos; daughter and son-in-law, Sarah June and Mike Nicholls of Colorado Springs, Colo.; stepdaughter, Michelle Brown of Gulf Port, Miss.; brothers and sisters-in-law, Doug and Deena Strickland of North Loup, Neb., Richard and Marlene Strickland of Lakewood and Darwin Strickland of Arapahoe; sister, Dalis Strickland of Arapahoe; grandchildren, Acacia and Lleven of Colorado Springs; aunt, Lila Adams of Arapahoe; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.