Dirk deVries

deVries, Dirk 89, passed away peacefully February 11th, 2017 in Minnetonka, MN. He was preceded in death by parents Dr. Bernard G. deVries and Mildred Ozias deVries, sister Dorie Ann Curtiss, brother Bernard O. deVries, and the love of his life, his wife of 53 years Joyce R. deVries, and beloved son Dirk Robert deVries. Dirk was born October 15th, 1927 in Minneapolis and graduated from Shattuck School in 1945, ranking 3rd in his class. He then served in the Regular Army from 1946 to 1947, earning his Army Expert Marksmanship Badge, and graduated from MIT in 1950. It was in Boston where he met Joyce Elleman, marrying her in 1951 in Troy, Ohio. He had a dynamic career in industrial product development and marketing, including Proctor and Gamble, General Electric (where he was involved with designing jet engines), Univac computers, Control Data, and Uniflow Systems, a mass transit concept he was proud to have brought to the attention of the federal government. That experience led him to be active in local and state politics and he was ultimately appointed by Governor Rudy Perpich to the Metropolitan Council in 1979. He was on the Council for 14 years where he was a strong advocate for public parks and water access and Light Rail Transit, retiring in 1993. Dirk always described his work life as more of an adventure than a career and he remained up for an adventure throughout his life. Dirk was an avid duck and goose hunter and fisherman and spent many of his retired weekends at the family cabin or at a hobby farm he owned with his wife, Jo, where they spent lots of time together, puttering, fixing up, and having fun. Dirk always considered himself the luckiest of menlucky in love, lucky in work, lucky in friends, and lucky in his children. His family feels the same way about him. He is survived by daughters, Deb (Nizar Abuzeni) deVries, Alison (Chris) Cluster, Penny (Bob) Duncan, and adopted daughter Márcia Arantes Carlos; son Peter (Molly) deVries; grandchildren James, Julie, Chloe, Allie, Mallory, Charlie, and Owen; great-grandchildren Liam and Margot; and many, many friends. Funeral services are Thursday, February 16th, at 10:30 AM at Trinity Episcopal Church, 322 2nd St, Excelsior, MN 55331. Private interment at Lakewood Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Trinity Episcopal Church.

Tributes

Dirk deVries

February 11, 2017

Tributes

Dirk deVries

February 11, 2017

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