Obituary of Fred DeShaw

WORTHINGTON, IOWA

The race is over, the checkered flag has dropped.  Fred DeShaw, 64, of Worthington, crossed the finish line into heaven on Friday, July 29, 2022, at his home.

Visitation will be held from 3 – 9 p.m. on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville.  Visitation will continue Thursday at the funeral home from 9 – 10 a.m. prior to funeral mass.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at St. Paul Catholic Church in Worthington with burial in the church cemetery.  Rev. Christopher Podhasky will officiate.

Fred was born on January 22, 1958, in Monticello, Iowa, the son of Howard and Betty (Mohr) DeShaw.   He received his education in the Maquoketa Valley School System, graduating with the Class of 1977.  On July 28, 1979, he married his high school sweetheart, Connie Dingbaum, and they settled in Worthington.  To this union three children were born.

Fred was a jack of all trades.  No job was too big or small.  If there was a will, there was a way, and it was usually his way or the highway.  He worked various jobs from auto mechanic to construction to being a farm hand.  He loved to socialize and visit with whomever crossed his path, always giving the shirt off his back if necessary.

Fred endured many ups and downs in life from dealing with diabetes to renal disease to being wheelchair bound and finally dementia.  He never let his disabilities get in his way and he totally lived his nine lives.  He was proud to have served on the Worthington Fire Department for 12 years.  He was a proud recipient of a double organ transplant.  He also owned DeShaw Mini Storage.

He was a gearhead at heart, never missing a chance to go to the stock car races and help Ryan in the modified division.  He enjoyed a good steak fry at Ange and Ben’s, and out to Abby and Dave’s cabin for a boat ride.  He loved sports, tractors, muscle cars and a cold one.

Survivors include his wife, Connie, three children:  Ange (Ben) Pickering of Cedar Rapids, Abby (Dave) Besler of Marion and Ryan (Jen) DeShaw of Hopkinton; The apples of his eyes were his 6-pak grandkids and fur babies: Ashten and Ayda Besler, Bryn, Nova, Fallyn and Jett DeShaw, and Lily, Grizzly, Knox and Max; mother, Betty DeSahw of Hopkinton, siblings: Dick (Vicki) DeShaw, Darlene Heims, Paul Schmitt, Shirley (Ed) Stecklein, Dixie (Dennis) Offermann, Tim (Lou) DeShaw and Terry (Carla) DeShaw; his mother-in-law, Eileen Dingbaum, in-laws: Leon J. Dingbaum, Sandy (Jerry) Nickol, and Karol Hoeger.

He was preceded in death by his father, a sister, Lynda Schmitt, father-in-law, Alver Dingbaum and brother-in-law, Jerry Heims.

We would like to thank the Worthington Fire and EMS, and Bi-County Ambulance for the many trips with Fred.