Carl Dresselhaus

Carl W. Dresselhaus, age 97, of Davenport died Saturday, April 5, 2014 at Select Specialty Hospital, Davenport. Services in celebration of his life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 11 at St. John’s United Methodist Church, 14th and Brady Streets in Davenport, with the Rev. Anne Lippincott officiating. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, April 10 at Weerts Funeral Home, Kimberly at Jersey Ridge Rd., Davenport. Burial will be in Oakdale Memorial Gardens, Davenport.
Carl was born in 1917 in New Albin to Frederick and Eliza Dresselhaus. Following his graduation from New Albin High School in 1934, he spent a year in the Civilian Conservation Corps at McGregor. In 1939 he entered Waukon Junior College. He served with the United States Army Air Corps from 1942-1945 as a radio operator and gunner on a B-24 in Italy, flying missions over northern Italy and southern Germany. While in training as an aviation cadet in WWII, he participated on service sports teams as a pitcher and played with professionals, including Joe DiMaggio.
June 20, 1952, Carl married a Coe College music graduate, Irma Kubik, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids. Carl graduated from Iowa State Teachers College (known today as University of Northern Iowa) with his BA, where he played baseball as a left-handed pitcher for three years. He then graduated from the University of Iowa with his MA and also continued with his post-graduate studies there.
From 1947-1954, he was a teacher, coach and superintendent in New Albin; from 1954-1960, he served as Elementary Principal in Sioux City; and from 1960-1982 he served with the Davenport Community School District as Madison Elementary School Principal, Personnel Director, Director of Elementary Education and Area Administrative Director.  One year, as Personnel Director in the late 1960s, he hired over 250 teachers in the Davenport School District.
In addition to his church membership, he served as a past chairman of its Administrative Board, as Sunday School Superintendent, Trustee, Usher Captain and Chairman of the Education Commission. He was also a member of the Davenport Rotary Club, Davenport Elks, Hamilton Masonic Lodge of Bettendorf, Scottish Rite of Davenport, Davenport Hi Twelve, Varsity Club, Quad-City Plus 60, Davenport Area Retired School Personnel Association (President), American Legion Post #26 of Davenport, Veterans of Foreign War V.F.W. (National Member), American Association of School Administrators, Association for School and Curriculum Development, Iowa State Elementary Principals, and National Education Association (Life Member).
Carl was a true gentleman with a kind word for all. Always patient, thoughtful, courteous and kind, but above all, Carl was a man of great integrity and conviction. He will be truly missed by his loving family, friends, and many acquaintances. All who ever met Carl thought highly of him. He worked hard throughout his life and was an example of how to live well. He is leaving this earth having positively impacted many people in many ways.
As a man of faith and devotion, Carl’s family is very proud of his life legacy which will serve as a testament and guide to future generations. Most importantly, as a Christian, Carl has made God proud in how he lived, assisted others, and cherished the wonderful gift of life for 97 years.
Survivors include his loving wife, Irma, with whom he spent much time and effort in raising their family; their sons, Paul W. (Cindi) of Saint Petersburg, FL and John C. (Ann) Dresselhaus of Bettendorf; their daughter, Ann Dresselhaus of Cedar Rapids; their grandchildren, Amy Berg, Lisa and David of St. Petersburg, FL, and Andrew and Matthew of Bettendorf; and their great-grandchildren, Rilynn and Vaughn Berg of St. Petersburg, FL.
His daughter, Ann, is a University of Iowa graduate with a physics and genetics emphasis. She resides in Cedar Rapids, pursuing her life passion in genetics by developing a new award-winning working dog breed, Alaskan Noble Companion Dogs.
His son, Paul, is an Augustana College graduate and attorney, and married Cindi, also an Augustana graduate.  Together they have three children, Amy, Lisa and David, and two grandchildren, Rilyn and Vaughn. Paul resides in South Florida as an Executive Director in the Wealth Management and Investment Services business.
His son, John, is an Iowa State graduate in Mechanical Engineering with an MBA from Drake University in Des Moines. He married Ann Rogers, a University of Northern Iowa graduate, in 1994. Together they live with their two children, Andrew and Matthew, in Bettendorf.  John is an owner in several Iowa businesses: US Adventure RV, Copyworks, Team Investments, LLC, and Pinnacle Development, LLC.
Carl was preceded in death by his brothers, Richard of Whitehall, WI, Ray of Pueblo, CO and Les of New Albin; and his sisters, Mildred Mundt of San Jose, CA and Esther Dee of New Albin.
Memories and condolences may be shared with the Dresselhaus family by visiting Carl’s obituary at www.WeertsFH.com. Memorials may be made to St. John’s United Methodist Church, where Carl was a long-time member, or to the Nursing Scholarship Fund at Ridgecrest Village.