Capt. Dene B. Stratton

Capt. Dene B. Stratton, USN, Ret., 95, of Camby, passed away October 18, 2023.  He was born 10 September 1928 to Willard Estes Stratton and Sylvia Kramer Stratton in San Francisco, CA. On graduating from the University of Washington (Delta Chi) in 1951, he served in the US Navy until retiring in 1977, as Captain Supply Corps. Prior to his retirement, he commanded the Navy Finance Center, Cleveland, Ohio, where he was also Chairman of the Federal Executive Board and a member of The Cheshire Cheese Club.

During his Navy career he served aboard USS Forrestal, USS Mt. Katmai, USS Burlington, USS Evansville, USS Kyne, USS Toledo, USS Missouri, Service Squadron Three, Service Group Three, NADO San Francisco, NADO Seattle, NSD Great Lakes and the San Francisco, Boston and Long Beach Naval Shipyards. After leaving the Navy, he joined (and subsequently retired from) the Hughes Aircraft Co., including serving four years in Saudi Arabia.

He married Lillian Peterson in 1953. They had one son, Dene B. Stratton, Jr. ( Jane).  He married Betty Saylor Roland in 1979 and became stepfather to Thomas
H. Roland (Linda) (Thomas passed 2013), Robin N. Roland, Karen Roland Miller (George), and John K. Roland (Gena).  He is also survived by his sister, Sara Stratton and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Captain and Mrs. Stratton moved to Camby, IN in 1983 where he joined The Service Club of Indianapolis; MOLLUS, SAR; Navy League; Military Officers Assoc.; IN Society of Colonial Wars (Deputy Governor General; Friends of the Indiana State Archives (Treasurer); American Legion; VFW; and the Indiana State Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. He also was a member of Camby Community Church, and Instructor in Economics at IUPUl for nine years.

He was also a graduate of the Naval War College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, George Washington University (MA in Foreign Affairs), and Babson College (MBA).

He was a strong leader and always pursued excellence. His awards include the Legion of Merit and Meritorious Service Medal. He was particularly proud of the Greater Cleveland Employment Award for helping to make equal employment opportunity a reality, and the national award from the American Society for Training and Development for Human Resource Development.

He lived in CA, OR, WA, VA, FL, NY, NJ, MA, IL, and IN, plus the Philippines, Japan, Spain, and Saudi Arabia.  Memorial contributions can be made to the Salvation Army or Wheeler Mission. Services will be private and Capt. Stratton will be interred in the Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Madison, Indiana.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Carlisle-Branson Funeral Service and Crematory.

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