Stephen DeVries
Grinnell - Stephen William DeVries, son of Hans DeVries and Mary Lou (Kamerick) DeVries, was born on May 5, 1951 in Oskaloosa, IA. During his early childhood, the family lived in several towns in Iowa before settling in central Iowa. Steve attended public schools in Sigourney and Newton until he completed the 8th grade. Steve won a scholarship to attend Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH, where he completed high school, followed by a degree in Civil Engineering earned from Stanford University.
After marrying his high school sweetheart, Pauline Van Maaren, in 1972, Steve returned to Iowa and started a career in engineering. Over their 47-year marriage, Steve and Pauline raised two children and lived in Marshalltown, Maquoketa, and Glenwood, before settling in central Iowa, where Steve spent 20 years as the executive director of the Iowa County Engineers Association Service Bureau, a computer center for county engineers across Iowa. Steve retired in May 2018 at age 67.
Steve was an avid bicyclist, photographer, railroad enthusiast, and amateur glacial geologist. In 2018, he and Pauline enjoyed a wonderful summer visiting their children and traveling throughout the United States. Steve also achieved a lifetime goal of bicycling Missouri's Katy Trail end to end, without skipping a mile, before he and his wife moved to their forever home in Grinnell, Iowa.
Steve is survived by his wife Pauline of Grinnell, IA, his son Aaron of Ypsilanti, MI, his daughter Stephanie of New York, NY, his aunt Lena of Kaltenkirchen, Germany, his brother John (Lori) of Waterloo, IA, his brother Charles (Esther) of Bethesda, MD, and 23 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother James of Herblay, France.
Visitation will be held at 9:30 am on Friday, May 24, 2019, followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 10:30 am. Both will be held at Caldwell Parrish in Urbandale, IA. A luncheon will follow the service at Creekside Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be directed to the and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.
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Published in Des Moines Register on Apr. 16, 2019
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