Memorial bench to honor Falls grad

NEWTON FALLS -- In September 2011, Newton Falls graduate Dale Settle Jr. died at age 22 after being shot while he and two others were driving to a Bible study class when he was a business major at the University of Akron.

His classmates from the class of 2007 want to remember their fellow student with a memorial bench with his name on it to be placed at the village park off Quarry Street by the ballfields.

Tristan Balint, who is a member of the class of 2007, said next summer the class will celebrate its 20th reunion at the park.

"Right now, we are raising money for the memorial bench for Dale. Some of the classmates have talked about the 20th anniversary coming up and wanted to do something and wanted to have the reunion honor and remember Dale. We want to remember him in some way at the reunion,'' Balint said.

"Dale's story is truly amazing. What he did to help others is so important,'' Balint said.

She said this will be the first reunion for the class since graduation in 2007.

Balint said $2,000 already has been raised for the bench.

Sharon Hill of New Castle, Settle's mother, said the bench will be placed near home plate at one of the ballfields at the park since her son liked to play sports such as football, basketball and baseball, and the city park is where he often played.

"He loved playing baseball since he was a boy. When I heard what his classmates wanted to do to remember him, I got tears in my eyes. This touched me so much. To honor him this way is so appreciated," Hill said.

SHOOTING

Hill said on Sept. 22, 2011, her son and two friends were driving to a Bible study in Canton. At the time, Settle was attending the University of Akron and was living in Canton.

She said when the three were getting near the Bible study location, they were stopped by two men and held up at gunpoint.

"We learned later that it was gang related. My son and his friends did not have money on them and when the one man began shooting, Dale lunged in front of his friends to protect them. The gun went off and a bullet went onto Dale's abdomen,'' Hill said.

She said the other two survived and told police they knew the situation was not going to go well when they saw the man with the gun.

Hill said at her son's funeral the two others in the car said her son protected them and he is the reason they are both still alive.

"When my son was shot and fell to the ground, people came running over to help and said Dale was still conscious. He told others there to 'please forgive those who did this,''' Hill said.

An ambulance was called and he was taken to a nearby hospital.

She said the two men believed responsible for the shooting are in prison for other charges.

Hill said she learned from police that there were two men who stopped the car her son was in, but there was a third man waiting in another car nearby.

Hill said when she got to the hospital, her son was in surgery that lasted all night.

"The doctors told me that before they began surgery, Dale told them to forgive the assailants. The surgery went on for five hours and they told me I could go back and see him. I was back there for a half hour and all the machines were beeping and going off before he died," she said.

Settle died on Sept. 23, 2011.

Hill said the FBI offered a $25,000 award to anyone who had information on who was involved in the shooting.

She said her son was always active at church and was attending Faith Family Church in Canton where his funeral took place.

Balint said when people see the bench they can tell people who Settle was and how he gave his life to protect others.

Hill said her children, who include a twin daughter and a son who are 6 years older than Dale, were raised in Newton Falls and attended school there.

She said her son wanted to open a real estate business after graduating from the University of Akron.

"The shooting happened in September and he was to graduate in December,''' Hill said.

DONATIONS

Balint said donations for the bench fror Settle can be made to #DOIT4DALE

The bench will include Settle's name and that Settle was born Nov. 6, 1988, and died Sept. 23, 2011.

Balint said the bench with lettering and shipping will cost $3,200. She said when the bench is completed and installed at the park, there will be an unveiling prior to the class reunion.

Balint said she spoke with classmate Hannah Dever, who now lives in North Carolina and is organizing the effort, to have the bench done.

"She told me we are getting close to the amount of money that will be needed. We are getting the bench taken care of first and then will plan for the reunion,'' Balint said.

She said at the park would be the ideal location for the reunion for the class, which had around 100 graduates.