Raymond Dudley Conner 1920-2011

CONNER, DUDLEY, SHULL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/24/2013 at 14:19:48

Sioux City Journal
11 December 2011

SIOUX CITY -- Raymond Dudley Conner, 91, of Sioux City died peacefully on Dec. 6, 2011, at Touchstone Living Center, surrounded by his family.

Private graveside services will be at a later date in Logan Park Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.

Dudley was born Nov. 1, 1920, to Raymond Perry and Eusebia (Dudley) Conner in Denison, Iowa. He graduated from Denison High School in 1939 and from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, in 1943 with a degree in business.

Dudley was a member of the "Greatest Generation" serving in the military as a lieutenant from 1943 to 1946. He began his service as an Army combat engineer, then was assigned to the U.S. Air Force and trained as a radar observer, bombardier and navigator on B-17 Flying Fortresses. He later served as an instructor, teaching new flight crews. The war ended just before he was scheduled to go overseas, and he was honorably discharged in 1946.

Dudley began his business career as merchandise manager for Younker Bros. in Des Moines, Iowa, Mason City, Iowa, and Sioux City from 1946 to 1953.

He married Sally Elizabeth Shull on Feb. 18, 1950, at First United Methodist Church in Sioux City. The couple moved to Denver, Colo. in 1954, where Dudley was vice president of Daniels & Fisher. They returned to Sioux City in 1956, where he was named president of Knapp & Spencer Co., a wholesale hardware business begun in 1868 by C.A. Knapp, his wife's grandfather. He retired in 1983 and moved to Ft. Myers, Fla., where he and his wife lived for 19 years, spending summers at Okoboji, Iowa. They returned to Sioux City in 2002.

Dudley was a proud member of the Siouxland business community and over the years participated and held offices in a number of Siouxland institutions, believing it was important to give back to his community. He served as vice chairman of the administrative board, a member of the endowment committee and past trustee-chairman of the finance committee of First United Methodist Church before moving to Florida. He also served on the administrative board and pastor/parish committee of Cypress Lake (Fla.) United Methodist Church.

Dudley was president of the United Way Board of Directors in 1974, served on the executive committee of the National Wholesale Hardware Association from 1973 to 1976, was president of the National Hardware Golf Association from 1974 to 1975, was a past director of the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, the Woodbury County Tax Research Conference, the Sertoma Club and the Sioux City Concert Course. Dudley served on the board of directors of the former First National Bank (currently U.S. Bank) for 22 years and was a member of the Banks of Iowa, headquartered in Cedar Rapids, board of directors for 10 years. He also served on the board of directors of St. Luke's Regional Medical Center for 11 years.

Dudley loved his home on West Lake Okoboji, where he spent many happy summers and shared his passion for its beauty with his children and grandchildren. He was an avid golfer, fisherman and sailor, competing in sailboat races on the lake as a young man. He had a ready smile and made friends easily, loved the family pets, had a great sense of humor and a keen interest in business and world events.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sally; two sons, William (Susan) Conner of Sioux City, and John (Mary) Conner of Overland Park, Kan.; a daughter, Susan Elizabeth Conner of Sioux City; grandchildren, Robin (Conner) Andersen and her husband Jacob of Denver, Colo., Jillian Conner of Sioux City, Courtney (Casey) Conner, Johnny Conner of Kansas City, Mo., and Maggie Conner of Overland Park, Kan.; a sister-in-law, Betty Conner of Tulsa, Okla.; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Jody and Jim Phillips of Spirit Lake, Iowa; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Carlton and Carolyn Shull of Greeley, Colo.; five nephews, James P. III (Marilyn) Conner and Dudley C. (Jewell) Conner, both of Tulsa, Okla., Carey M. (Sharon) Phillips of Boulder, Colo., James B. (Cindy) Phillips of Spirit Lake, Iowa, and Jeff C. Phillips of Jefferson, S.D.; and two nieces, Liz Shull (Rick) Donalds of Sherborn, Mass., and Katie Shull (Doug) Yockey of Greeley, Colo.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, James Perry Conner II.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, 801 Roeder Road, Suite 750, Silver Spring, MD 20910; First United Methodist Church, 1915 Nebraska St., Sioux City, IA 51104; or Hospice of Siouxland, 4300 Hamilton Boulevard, Sioux City, IA 51104.