Herbert Pearson Obituary

Herbert Spencer Pearson, age 89, of Des Moines, Iowa, passed away peacefully on September 8, 2023 at Walnut Ridge, a senior living community in Clive, Iowa. A visitation will be held from 4:30 PM-6:30 PM at Iles Dunn's Chapel Friday, September 15th, 2023. A Memorial Service will be held at 12:00 PM at Grandview Lutheran Church Saturday, September 16th, 2023 with an interment to follow at Glendale Cemetery.

Herb was born September 16, 1933 at Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines to Per David and Esther Pearson. He grew up in his beloved “Snusville” in a house his grandfather, a Swedish immigrant, built in 1903. He graduated from East High School in 1951. After graduation, Herb was drafted into the army and served in Germany during the Korean war. He married Jeanne Larimer in 1954.

He began his career with Northwestern Bell Telephone Co in 1951. As he advanced through the company, he relocated to Ames, Oelwein, and Dubuque, IA before returning to Des Moines in 1982. He retired in 1986 and continued working as a consultant for another ten years.

Herb was a man of strong faith. He was a lifelong member of Grand View Lutheran Church, where his mother was in the first confirmation class. Herb was always active in the church and served on the church council and volunteered on many committees. He was also active in a variety of service organizations, especially the Sertoma and Optimist Clubs, where he was a perfect example of their missions to make life worthwhile through service to mankind and promote friendship among all people.

Herb and Jeanne vacationed and owned a home for more than 50 years at the Lake of the Ozarks. His children, grandchildren and many others learned to swim, ski, and fish there, and they created many special and lasting memories. Herb was a positive, outgoing person with a quick wit who always thought of others first. He cultivated friends in every city he lived in.

He loved to golf, making two holes-in-one in his lifetime. What he loved the most though was spending time with his grandchildren, remembering their birthdays annually and making each feel like they were the most important person in the room. He was an outstanding role model for his family and was loved by so many. Herb loved to play cards and hosted a cribbage tournament whenever the family gathered. Herb and Jeanne travelled extensively and he kept a travel journal on each trip. They also reconnected with his army buddies and went on many army reunion trips. Especially memorable was the Honor Flight to visit the Veterans’ Memorials in Washington, DC in 2014.

Herb was preceded in death by his loving wife of 69 years, Jeanne; his parents; a grandson, John Knapp; his sister, Ardith Jobse; and brother, Carl Pearson. He is survived by his four children: Dawn (Manny) Siprut of Scottsdale, AZ; Diane (Tommy Yager) Pearson-Watson of Estes Park, CO; Douglas (Paula) Pearson of Ankeny, IA; Dennis Pearson of Excelsior Springs, MO; nine grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and several close nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be directed to Grand View Lutheran Church.

Arrangements by Iles Dunn's Chapel.

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