Delmar Blaine Van Meter (1932-2010)
VAN METER, MILLER, MABREY
Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 1/9/2010 at 09:54:03
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Thursday, January 7, 2010.
Delmar Blaine Van Meter, 77, of Ames, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
A gathering of friends and family will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way in Ames. A celebration of life service will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, at First Baptist Church, 200 Lynn Ave., in Ames. Burial has taken place in Iowa State University Cemetery in Ames.
Dad was born Jan. 16, 1932, in Cosby, Mo., near Kansas City, the son of William and Dora (Miller) Van Meter. He grew up on a small farm and learned to work hard, a skill he practiced throughout his life.
Dad was an outstanding student and athlete in high school and earned a scholarship to play football at the University of Missouri, Columbia. There he earned bachelor’s degrees in agriculture, agricultural engineering and mechanical engineering, and then later earned a graduate degree in mechanical engineering at Iowa State University.
After college, Dad was on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956. He met Jo Mabrey while stationed in Colorado Springs, Colo. They were married Aug. 27, 1956. He reached the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve before retiring in 1993.
Dad was a professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University from 1958 until he retired in 2000. He helped thousands of engineering students master difficult subjects, including heat transfer, thermodynamics and theory of internal combustion engines. Dad was a dedicated teacher and spent many hours talking with students, correcting papers and preparing for lectures. He was sought after as a consultant by many clients and helped them with his expertise in thermodynamics and internal combustion engines.
Dad was an active volunteer throughout his life. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Ames and served that organization as a member of the board of trustees and as a key member of facility and building project teams. He was a school board member for Gilbert Community Schools and an assistant scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America.
Dad is survived by his wife, Jo Van Meter, and children, Kevin (Pam) Van Meter, of Minneapolis, Kelly (Lauren) Van Meter, of Ridgefield, Conn., Kyle (Nancy) Van Meter, of Coralville, and Kimberly (Meisha) Van Meter, of Iowa City; 11 grandchildren, Scott, Steven, Amy, Madeleine, Jacqueline, Ryan, Brooke, Theo, Sophie, Jonas and Sheridan; brothers, Melvin (Mary) and Warren (Lorene) Van Meter, of St. Joseph, Mo.; and many nieces and nephews.
Online condolences may be sent to www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com.
Memorials can be sent to The First Baptist Church Boiler Fund, 200 Lynn Ave., Ames, Iowa 50010.
Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care is assisting the family.
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Story Obituaries maintained by Mark Christian.
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