Joe Asa DeBoest, 90, passed away December 23, 2022 at Scottish Rite Park in Des Moines. A funeral service will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jefferson Jan. 9, 2023.
Father John Gerald will officiate. Interment will be at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Jefferson with graveside military rites by the United States Navy Honor Guard.
Joe was born to Joe and Pauline DeBoest on June 18, 1932, in Dana. He was a proud graduate of Dana High School and also graduated from Capital City Commercial College. Joe served in the Navy aboard the USS Mount Baker during the Korean War.
He was united in marriage to Jean Finnegan on Oct. 5, 1957. He and Jean lived in Dana after college, then moved to Strawberry Point and made their home for many years in Forest City, where they raised their three children, Marcia, Tim, and Dan.
Joe served in the financial services industry for 40 years, and also owned and operated The Parts House in Forest City. He was an active member of the Lions Club, the American Legion, and the Knights of Columbus.
Joe and Jean retired to Des Moines to be closer to family, and wintered in Gulf Shores, AL, Port Aransas, TX, and Mesa, AZ.
Joe made friends wherever he went, and offered up a more-than-hearty handshake to anyone interested in putting it “in the vice”! He was also known for his whisker rubs, hugs, and unforgettable laugh. Joe was a lifelong golfer and dedicated fan of the Chicago Cubs and Bears, and, of course, loved an occasional glass of scotch. His bright, patterned golf pants and spirited Iowa State tailgates were the stuff of legends.
Joe will be remembered as a devout husband, an amazing Dad, a one-of-a-kind Grandpa, and an excited Great-Grandpa.
Joe is survived by his daughter Marcia (Murray) Katter; sons Tim (Ellen) and Dan; grandchildren Emilie Kaer (Taylor), Andrew DeBoest (Mary Ellen), Ali DeBoest, Morgan Julson (Jordan), and Riley DeBoest; and great-grandchildren Ruby DeBoest and Ida Julson.
He is also survived by sister-in-law Joan Pierret; Jean’s cousins Joyce (Jim) Calder, Jack (Ann) Piepel, Becky Piepel Sisca, Mike (Diane) Piepel, and Rick and Peggy Stevens, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Joe was preceded in death by his wife Jean; parents Joe and Pauline ( Krueger) DeBoest; siblings Ann Morlan (Ralph), John DeBoest (Virginia), and Ida Robinson (Darwin); father- and mother-in-law Roger and Ella Finnegan; sisters-in-law Rita and Mary Ann Finnegan, brother-in-law Jim Pierret, along with Joe’s special cousin Howard Voshell.
Memorials may be directed to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Jefferson.
