Frederick W Deis, 83, Vero Beach
Frederick W Deis, 83, of Vero Beach, died Oct. 29, 2020, with his family by his side. Fred was born to the late John L and Dorothy Deis on June 26, 1937 in Dayton, OH. He graduated from Patterson Co-Op High School and received his BS in Engineering from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1978.
He was married to Mary Jane (Fecher) Deis in 1959, and they lived together for 61 years in Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas before retiring to Vero Beach, Florida in 1999.
Fred was a leader in his engineering field, working at NCR in Dayton, OH, Universal Instruments in Binghamton, NY, and Emcor in New Jersey. He also co-owned a construction company with his son-in-law in Dallas, TX before retiring to Florida.
Fred loved to sing and was a member of a barbershop quartet in Vero Beach and Melbourne, FL. He also sang with the Vero Beach Silvertones. Wherever he lived, he enjoyed going fishing with several of his lifelong buddies. Fred was known for his silly “dad” jokes, loved puns, had a notorious habit of sneaking candy when Jane wasn’t looking and would eat a bowl of ice cream every night if she let him. He started each day with a cup of coffee and the morning crossword.
Fred was an active member of St Helen’s Catholic Church. He and Jane loved to travel, enjoying the sites, and visiting family and friends.
Fred especially loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. They knew him as a man of honor who cared deeply for his family. He was kind, generous, and patient. He set an amazing example of what a husband and father should be.
Preceded in death by his baby son, Joey, Fred is survived by his wife, Jane, his 7 children, Laura Murphy of Vero Beach, Mary Jo Leonard of Endicott, NY, Karen (Jory) Larnerd of Kirkwood, NY, David (Cindy) Deis of Spring, TX, Mark (Lori) Deis of Allentown, PA, Janet (Dave) Moga of Orinda, CA and Matt (Toni) Deis of Westfield, NJ. He is also survived by his 19 grandchildren (and their spouses) and 9 great grandchildren (plus 2 more arriving soon).
A mass was held in his honor on October 30, 2020 at St. Helen’s Catholic Church, Vero Beach, FL. A celebration of life and inurnment will be scheduled at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation (www.accrf.org/take-action/donate/) or VNA Hospice of Vero Beach (https://vnatc.org/ways-to-give/memorials-and-honorariums/)