Allan Lee Dewald was born as the only offspring to parents Paul and Hulda (Kiehlbauch) Dewald on May 27, 1938 in a Scotland, SD, clinic, and raised on a small farm near Tripp, SD.  He attended a one-room country school through the 8th grade and subsequently completed high school at Tripp High School.  He expressed an early interest in music and was the pianist for a small country church the family attended near Tripp.  He was very involved in 4-H from the age of 11 until his early 20's, focusing on entomology and all aspects of livestock, and was chosen to attend 4-H Leadership Congresses in Chicago and Washington, DC.

Upon entering high school, he learned to play the tuba, the only instrument available in the band.  He was very involved in music in high school, both instrumental and vocal, and participated in All State Chorus and Band.  He was chosen for first-chair tuba in 1956 for the All State Band, and also played first-chair tuba during his three years of college at the Univ. of SD in Vermillion.

Allan met his medical school requirements at the University of SD,  and completed his medical school training in 1964 at the Univ. of Minnesota.  The next year of his training was an internship in general medicine at Maricopa Co. Hospital in Phoenix, AZ.  After that, he served two years as a General Medical Officer in the US Army, including many months in a medical dispensary in Vietnam.   After serving two years in the Army, he was honorably discharged.

He married Ramona Handel in 1965 and of this union three sons were born;  Jonathan (who died shortly after birth), Christian and Joseph.  He and Ramona subsequently divorced.

He joined the partnership of Radiology Associates in Rapid City in 1971 and  served in various roles on the medical staff and hospital Board of Trustees throughout the years, retiring from full-time practice in 1999.

He married Leah Geuke Pommer in 1985, and in 1990 they started a business of raising alpacas.  It was an incredible learning experience for both of them as not much was known about alpacas at that time.  He served on the Alpaca Owners & Breeders Assoc. board, the Alpaca Research Foundation and also on the Morris Animal Foundation.  He continued his love of music by resuming playing the tuba 40 years after he had last picked it up.  He spent many enjoyable years playing in the RC Municipal Band, New Horizons Band, and in a brass quintet.

Unexpectedly in 2012, he was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus and thus began a 7- year battle dealing with the debilitating side-effects of the treatment of that disease.

Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Leah; sons Chris (Amber) and their sons Tyler and Avery of Peoria, AZ; son Joe (Donna) of Falls Church, VA, and their son, Alex. He was preceded in death by one son Jonathan; and his parents Paul and Hulda Dewald.

Services will be on Tuesday, August 13th, at Calvary Lutheran Church with a visitation starting at 10:00 am, service at 11:00, and a burial at BH National Cemetery with military honors.  Pastor Larry Dahlstrom will be officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to The Club for Boys or Clarkson Healthcare.