Obituary of Ralph Eugene Deems

Ralph Eugene Deems, age 93 of Four Seasons, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at Lakeside Meadows in Osage Beach, Missouri. Ralph was born January 12, 1920 in Columbus, Ohio the son of Herbert and Metta Deems. Ralph was married March 16, 1941, in Columbus, Ohio to Maryann Bunner who preceded him in death on September 17, 1995. Ralph was later married to Wilma Paulie on April 2, 2000 in Sunrise Beach, Missouri. Ralph attended Ohio State University and received a degree in business. After college he worked as a cost accountant for Borden�s Dairy and Ice Cream in Columbus from 1941-1943. He was then hired as the Assistant Chief Cost Accountant for the International Stacey Corp, from 1943 until 1945. In 1945 he became the Chief Accountant and Office Manager for the Universal Concrete and Pipe Company of Columbus. In March 1947 Ralph moved his family to Galion, Ohio where he worked for Peabody International Corporation, a company based in Stamford Connecticut. He eventually moved to Stamford in order to serve as the Vice President and Treasurer and retired in May of 1985 after 38 years with the company. In 1992 he moved to the Lake of the Ozarks in order to be closer to his daughter and family. While in Galion, Ohio, Mr. Deems served on the local hospital board of directors, was a board member of the First Federal Savings and Loan and was involved in the planning and construction of an YMCA facility. Mr. Deems was a major donor to Lake Regional Health System in Osage Beach, Missouri, as well as giving many hours of volunteer service. Ralph was an avid golfer and model railroader. Ralph was a loving, gentle spirit and will be missed by all who knew and loved him. Mr. Deems was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Metta Deems and his first wife, Maryann. Surviving are his daughter, Barbara Gislason and husband, Robert, of Sunrise Beach, Missouri; three grandchildren, David Gryte and his wife, Louise, of Avondale, Pennsylvania, Kristen Clemons and her husband, Jeremy, of Grain Valley, Missouri, and Kristofer Gryte of Oxford, England; three great-grandchildren, Charlie Gryte, Sidney Clemons and Cade Clemons. Also surviving are his wife Wilma, and her family, Terri Curran and her husband, Doug, Steve Schmidt, David Schmidt and Nancy Hinds and her husband, Russ, and their children.