San Clemente - Dale Anthony Ferranto, 74, of San Clemente, passed away on Sunday, January 19, of natural causes.

Dale was born on July 29, 1950, to Ed and Betty Ferranto in Philadelphia and was raised in Southern California. He attended South Hills High School in West Covina and transferred to The Hague school in the Netherlands in his junior year.

After he graduated, his family moved back to Southern California, where he attended the California Maritime Academy, earning a B.S. in maritime engineering. Dale earned an additional B.S. in criminology from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in 1974 and an M.S. in criminal justice from Sacramento State University (Phi Kappa Phi) in 1990. He also graduated from the F.B.I. National Academy (Session 181) in 1995. He later became an adjunct professor at Sac State, teaching criminal justice with a specialization in drug abuse/criminal behavior, and at San Diego State University, teaching law enforcement and maritime law and operations.

Dale began his career in 1971 when he was commissioned with the Merchant Marine, where he completed his service agreement by sailing aboard oil tankers for the Chevron Shipping Company and harbor dredges for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Dale remained a Naval Reserve Officer for three decades and was selected for the rank of Captain in January 1991. He was a Gold Wing Naval Parachutist, and his decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal, Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, National Defense Medal, and Expert Pistol Medal. He won the Golden Anchor retention award in 1982 for Region 19 reserve units.

After his service in the Merchant Marine, Dale returned to college and discovered a passion for law enforcement. While in school at CSULB, he worked as a deputy sheriff (reserve) with the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Upon graduation, he was hired as a special investigator with the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), notably going undercover in a murder-for-hire plot in Long Beach in 1975.

In 1977, he accepted a position as special investigator with the California Department of Mental Health, conducting internal investigations at Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk. That same year, he married Kay Rice, and they welcomed their only child, daughter Jenny, in 1978. In 1979, he joined the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and was assigned to the Los Angeles Diversion Investigation Unit (DIU). While there, Dale received one of the most notable cases of his career, code named "Operation Rx." This multi-jurisdictional drug diversion investigation not only shifted his career forward, but also launched his lifelong friendship with the confidential informant David W. Hall (or, as Dale's family came to know him, "Rex"). Operation Rx was one of the most in-depth, successful drug diversion cases in United States history and was later featured on the television show "True Detectives" (1990), with Dale making a cameo appearance.

In 1984, Dale transferred to the Department of Justice Sacramento Field Office, eventually being promoted to Special Agent in Charge (SAC) in 1991. His first assignment as SAC was to command the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) with the mission to stop marijuana cultivation by indoor hydroponic grows and outdoor gardens. It's hard to imagine today that this program existed. But from 1991 to 1996, CAMP was the largest multi-agency task force in the United States, with more than 110 agencies participating. This position also earned Dale his first and only magazine cover, on the North Coast Journal of Humboldt County (1994). In 1999, Dale was chosen to build and lead the DOJ&'s new Firearms Division, formed in response to ever increasing and complex gun laws in California. During this time, he acted in various roles from public information officer to special agent to government liaison. Dale was even deputized as a U.S. Marshal in order to work in all 50 states pursuing armed felons. This came in handy later when he and his unit were deployed to New Orleans to help in the Hurricane Katrina rescue, policing, and relief efforts. During his three weeks there, Dale helped rescue stranded residents (and animals), locate and recover bodies, provide armed escort of essential medications and supplies to local hospitals, and made many new acquaintances and friends that he continued to keep in touch with. For his heroic actions during Hurricane Katrina, he was honored with the California Attorney General's Medal of Valor and the Medal of Distinguished Service in 2005.

Dale retired from the Navy as a Captain in June 2001 and from DOJ as an assistant chief in 2008. But he didn't stay retired for long. Dale was quickly hired as a law enforcement liaison with LexisNexis Risk, where he worked until 2017. He also joined the Laguna Beach Police Department as a reserve officer in 2010 and became a licensed private investigator in 2014. All-in-all, Dale's law enforcement career spanned nearly five decades. He was a notable expert in pharmaceutical drug diversion, anabolic/androgenic steroids, and firearms. He also authored multiple professional pieces on law enforcement leadership, narcotics investigations and ethics.

In 2012, Dale self-published his autobiography "Lawman: The Brotherhood of the Badge" recounting some of his most memorable police stories (available through M.T. Publishing Company, Inc.). Outside of work, Dale was an accomplished athlete. He completed three marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 1992. Additionally, he was a SCUBA diver and Police Olympic decathlete, triathlete, and track and field medalist. In 1996, after his parents passed away, Dale, Kay and Jenny moved from Sacramento into the Ferranto family home in San Clemente.

In 2001, Dale and Kay divorced and Jenny married. Dale stayed in the San Clemente home and reconnected with his high school sweetheart, Nancy Sarrazin, in 2001. After a brief move to Connecticut, Dale and Nancy moved back to San Clemente and were married in Leslie Park in 2006. In his later years, Dale became a notable fixture in his San Clemente neighborhood. If you were taking prom pictures or getting married in Leslie Park during the three decades Dale lived there, there is a good chance he invited you into his backyard to take your pictures with a "better view."

He will also be remembered for his annual Fourth of July parties, featuring the Ferranto family's famous "sea corn," and as part of "The Four Scotchmen," a group of neighbors that would gather intermittently to taste and assess different brands of scotch (Dale's longtime favorite spirit). Finally, during COVID, Dale started the "Biscuit Bar & Growl" at Leslie Park, connecting neighbors who were walking their dogs while social distancing and providing a much needed support system during an incredibly trying time. At the time of his death, there were more than 110 canine "members."

During his time on Earth, Dale accomplished every goal he ever set, from finishing the Boston Marathon to getting his master's degree, to finally marrying his high school sweetheart. He lived his life to the fullest. Dale also served his country and his community, from his time in the Navy to his many years in law enforcement. He was a patriot who loved America and was a true believer in honoring the "spirit of the law" over the "letter of the law." Dale was a mentor to some, a teacher to many, and a friend to all. He was a connector whose reach and influence extended far beyond those he directly met. It is without a doubt that Dale will be deeply missed.

Dale is survived by his wife, Nancy, daughter Jenny (Ferranto) Newton, granddaughter Kate Newton, brother Edward Ferranto, son-in-law Craig Newton, stepdaughter Kristin Bryan, and stepson Tyler Herring. Per Dale's wishes, his ashes will be scattered at Seal Rock in San Clemente, where his father's ashes were also scattered in 1993.

A celebration of life will be held on March 15 in San Clemente. If you knew Dale and want to share a memory about him or if you want to receive information about his celebration of life, please email DaleFerrantoMemorial@gmail.com.

Notification to Neighbors Around Leslie Park On Saturday, March 15 at approximately 5:00 PM, Dale will be honored by the U.S. Navy with a 21-gun salute. There may be temporary sounds related to the gun salute but no live ammunition will be used.

If you have any questions, please email daleferrantomemorial@gmail.com. Thank you.