Dick Dean Downing (2011)

DOWNING, PHILLIPS, LEEKA, RAHN

Posted By: Mary Hart, Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/12/2011 at 17:06:35

Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, Iowa
May 11, 2011

DICK DEAN DOWNING, Osceola

Dick Dean Downing, 51, of Osceola died Wednesday, May 4, 2011, as the result of injuries from an auto accident near Afton.

Services were held Monday, May 9, at Kale Funeral Home with Rev. Josh Steward officiating. Memorial contributions may be directed to his family for a fitting tribute to be decided at a later date.

Dick, the son of Arlan Downing and Elva (Phillips) Downing, was born June 23, 1959, in Leon, Iowa. He graduated from Clarke Community High School in 1978, Southwestern Community College in 1980 and Truman State University in 1982. Dick was united in marriage to Debra Ann Leeka on July 31, 1982, in Osceola. Dick taught school in the Amana school system and worked in the Amana Furniture shop for five years. In 1988 they moved back to the Osceola area where Dick worked as a carpenter and salesman. He eventually started Dick's Custom Woodworking. In 2001 he began working at I-35 Schools as the building and grounds director, and in 2005 returned to teaching at Southwestern Community College. He was a youth leader with the New Virginia United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his father, Arlan; brother Dennis and father-in-law, Ival LaVere Leeka.

He is survived by his wife, Deb of Osceola; sons, Dennis Downing of Winterset and Ben Downing of Osceola; mother, Elva Downing of Osceola; brothers, Darwin Downing of Osceola; Doug Downing of Des Moines; David Downing of Woodburn; sister, Elizabeth "Beth" Rahn of Columbia, Mo.; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and other relatives, and a host of friends.