Verl "Dean" FREESE

FREESE, GORDON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/21/2006 at 01:22:21

VERL "DEAN" FREESE

Verl "Dean" Freese, 70, passed away Saturday, October 30, 2004 at his summer home in Clive surrounded by his loving family, following a courageous two-year battle with Leukemia. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, November 3, at the United Church of Rowan in Rowan, IA. Burial will follow at Graceland Cemetery in Rowan. Dean was born May 3, 1934 on a farm east of Dows, IA to Nellie and Louis Freese. He was a graduate of Rowan High School and Drake University. He joined Frye Copysystems in 1954 as a machine operator. He was named president of Frye in 1967. In 1975, he was named Group V.P. of Wheelabrator Frye of Hampton, NH. He went on to be Chairman and CEO of UOP in Des Plaines, IL, and Group V.P. of Allied Signal of Moorestown, NJ. He retired as Chairman and CEO of Universal Oil Products in 1986. Dean and wife his Donna moved to Scottsdale, AZ and remained Arizona residents with a summer home in Clive until the time of his death. Dean was a member of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, Hyperion Field Club, Camelback Country Club in Scottsdale, AZ, Rio Verde Country Club in Rio Verde, AZ, the Printing Industry of America, International Business Forms Industry, and the Black Leaf Society, an honorary society of the printing industry. Dean enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, hunting, fishing trips to Canada, and the Green Bay Packers. Dean was preceded in death by his daughter, Kathryn and his parents, Nellie and Louis. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Donna; son, Brian (Debby) of Clive; daughter, Nancy (Mark) Gordon of Johnston; brother, Jack (Bobbi) Nixa, MO; and seven grandchildren, Ashleigh, Laura, Cody, Meridith, Benjamin, Troy, and Tanner. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Visitation will begin after 5 p.m. Tuesday, November 2, at Westover Funeral Home, where the family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to either the Rowan Library Building Fund, Hospice of Central Iowa, John Stoddard Cancer Center, or Plymouth Congregational UCC.

Des Moines Register, The (IA)
November 1, 2004