Who is Dale Hay? Chicago Fire airs title card tribute

Who is Dale Hay? Tonight’s new episode of Chicago Fire aired a title card tribute, and this feels like the perfect time to discuss him further.

Before we dive too far into this piece, we should note that the purpose of title cards is rather simple: To honor someone who is important to a show’s legacy, and who had an impact behind the scenes. They often range from actors to crew members to even people who inspire the show, and this is a way to both honor them and pay respects to their family.

In the case of Chicago Fire in particular, we know that this is an extremely tight-knit family with people who have worked together for an extended period of time. Behind the scenes there are plenty of people who have worked together for over a decade, and some even had prior relationships within the greater Dick Wolf world.

So who is Dale Hay? There initially was not much information about Hay available online, but we uncovered that someone by his name passed away in the greater Chicago area in September 2023. This is typically around the time in which this show premieres. There is no Dale Hay listed publicly as a crew member or actor on the show, but this does not mean they lack involvement within production. (Sources such as IMDb may be incomplete or inaccurate.) This particular Hay passed away at the age of 57, and seemed to appreciate a low-key life without an established or robust social-media presence. For him to have a title card signifies one thing above all else: He was loved by those within the Chicago Fire world.

We also should note that there was a deliberate effort here to place the title card following episode 2 of the series rather than the premiere, as to ensure it get special treatment and attention at this time.

In lieu of flowers at the time of Hay’s passing, there were requests made for donations to the American Cancer Society.

Our thoughts go out to Dale Hay’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.