Last week, Michigan Senator Bert Johnson (2nd District) with State Representative Klint Kesto (39th District) presented a special tribute to the Dally family on the floor of the Senate. Dally’s wife and three sons, along with their spouses and fiancé, attended the tribute in Lansing.
“Had I bumped into him on the last night before Fred closed his store, I would have told my friend to go home. You have done enough. You do not have to come back,” said Senator Johnson addressing the Senate. “The reason I would have told Fred that is because there was nothing left near his store at Dexter and Wyoming. Fred was the life.” After his tribute speech, Senator Johnson introduced the family, and the Senate applauded with a standing ovation followed by a moment of silence in honor of Fred Dally.
“Fred’s death was a tremendous loss for the MIRA family and the entire community,” said Auday Arabo, president and CEO of MIRA-The Voice of Independent Retailers. “This special tribute is in honor of his dedication to the neighborhood he served and the tremendous contribution he made in the independent retail industry.”
“Our family is very proud and honored at the beautiful tribute given to our father today on the state Senate floor,” said Ziad Dally, Fred Dally’s eldest son. “Despite the great sadness of our loss, the moving tribute from Senator Bert Johnson and House Rep. Klint Kesto, coupled with the tireless efforts of MIRA and Auday Arabo, have given our family a glimmer of hope that the murder of our father will be solved.”
Nearly 10 months after his murder, Fred Dally’s murder is still unsolved. Dally was an active, long-time member and a former chairman of the MIRA board of directors.
Days after he was killed at his Medicine Chest Liquor store in Detroit, the MIRA Foundation offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Dally’s killer. Dally was shot the morning of May 1, 2012, as he prepared to open his store in the 9000 block of Dexter on Detroit’s west side. Police agencies are still investigating, hopeful that someone interested in the $50,000 reward will step forward with important information.
Read more in the April issue of your Bottom Line magazine, where you can also watch the tribute by scanning a QR code with your smartphone.
