03/23/2021
Ronald Lee Sirpless, 87, of Oelwein, Iowa died, in his sleep, Tuesday morning , March 23, 2021 at his home.
Memorial Visitation: 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. Friday, March 26, 2021, at the Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home in Oelwein.
Final Resting Place: Resthaven Cemetery, West Des Moines, Iowa.
A Memorial Fund has been established for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Iowa Chapter in West Des Moines, or the Oelwein Community Plaza.
Condolences may be sent to Kay Sirpless, P.O. Box 614, Oelwein, Iowa 50662
Ronald Lee Sirpless was born December 25, 1933, in Opelousas, Louisiana, the son of Quinton T. & Edith Avo (Carruthers) Sirpless. As a child, his family moved to Knoxville from Oklahoma in 1949 when he was a Junior in High School.
He played clarinet in the band. Both Ron and his brother Glynn enjoyed Knoxville very much.
He graduated from High School in Knoxville, Iowa with the class of 1951. He continued his education at Iowa State University in Ames, where he met Kay Rae Standberg, a girl from West Des Moines.
They were united in marriage, on July 3, 1957, at the First Christian Church, West Des Moines, Iowa.
Ron joined the U.S. Army where he honorably served from 1954-to 1956 as a demolition expert during the Korean War in Germany.
Ron and Kay moved their family to Oelwein in 1971.
Ron was a sales manager for A.L. Laboratories in Ft. Lee, New Jersey for over 25 years, retiring in 1996.
Ron had previously served as the Oelwein Community Plaza Board President for ten years and was a life member of the Oelwein American Legion Ross Reid Post #9. He volunteered with the SCORE and SHIIP Programs.
Ron is survived by his Wife: Kay Sirpless of Oelwein;
Son: Timothy (Carol) Sirpless of West Des Moines;
Son-In-Law: Gary (Doris) Olson of Hiawatha;
2 Step-Grandchildren: Jayson (Dana) Hoffman & Kyle Olson;
Brother: Glynn (Shirley) Sirpless;
Sister: Nancy Fry;
2 Nieces: Glynna Sirpless & Sheryl Sirpless and a
Nephew: Eric Fry.
Ron was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter: Teri Lee Olson.
Online obituary at www.jamisonschmitzfuneralhome.com
Due to recommendations from state and federal health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic, guests are required to wear a mask and social distance. We encourage relatives and friends not able to attend the service to reach out to the family by leaving a message on the funeral home website, by mail, text, or phone.