In loving memory of

Deanna Kay Grindle
August 5, 1938 - December 10, 2018

Deanna Grindle, 80, of Red Oak, IA, passed away December 10, 2018 at the Accura Health Care in Stanton, IA.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at the Loess Hills Funeral Home in Malvern. Burial will be in the Wesley Chapel Cemetery, rural Hastings. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memorials: Nebraska Humane Society or Strahan United Methodist Church

Deanna Kay Grindle, one of three children of Ellis G. and Ethel M. (Wright) Grindle, was born on August 5, 1938 at Strahan, Iowa. She attended Strahan Consolidated High School where she played six-on-six girls' basketball all her years of high school and graduated in 1956. After graduation, Deanna was offered a scholarship to Commercial Extension Business School where she continued her basketball career. In 1959, she won the A.A.U. (Amateur Athletic Union) free throw championship. She won the National Free Throw Championship four times. In 1963, Deanna traveled to South America with the A.A.U. girls' basketball team. She also played slow pitch softball, being on the UNO World Champion Slow Pitch girls' team. In 1973, Deanna received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from the University of Omaha, continuing her teaching and coaching at Benson High School in Omaha, and coached UNO girls' basketball from 1973-1976. She received her Master of Science Degree at UNO.

Growing up on the farm, Deanna drove the tractor in the summer to help her dad. In Omaha, she worked as a secretary, blueprint estimator and bookkeeper as she continued to play and coach for the A.A.U. teams in Omaha. At Benson High School she taught computers, accounting, and typing. Deanna loved gardening, golf, camping, fishing, visiting her Minnesota cottage, listening to the loons, visiting her family and walking her faithful dog, Maggie. She was an accomplished artist and painted many pictures treasured by her family.

Deanna received many trophies and awards for her basketball talents with her most prized trophy presented to her in Des Moines, Iowa, during the 1973 Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union girls' basketball tournament, when she was inducted into the Iowa Hall of Fame for girls' basketball. Deanna retired from teaching in 1996 and moved to Florida with a longtime friend, Sonia Green. She lived there several years before moving to Crossville, Tennessee. Due to health issues, Deanna returned to Iowa in 2015 to be closer to her family.

Deanna passed away on December 10, 2018 in Stanton, Iowa at the age of 80 years, 4 months, and 5 days. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister Helen "Dude" Blunt and husband Robert "Bob"; and brother Kenneth "Doc" Grindle and wife Elizabeth "Libby".

Deanna is survived by her nieces, Sherry Perkins of Randolph, IA, Pam Meadows of Maitland, MO, and Kathy Blackman of Red Oak; nephews, Larry Blunt of Waco, TX, Rodney Grindle of Hastings, IA, and Dennis Grindle of Omaha; as well as her friend Sonia Green of Tequesta, FL; and numerous family and friends.

Tributes

Sonny (Class of '83) wrote on Sep 17, 2019:

"I had Ms. Grindle my senior year at Benson High for Office Machines & Procedures class. She was a no-nonsense type of teacher, the kind that unfortunately no longer exists. She was firm and yet very understanding. Let's face it, I wasn't exactly a model student. Yet she was extremely patient and tolerant of me. Teachers leave impressions on us and for me, she made a positive one."

Emily wrote on Dec 22, 2018:

"I am very sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you in this difficult time. I know it?s hard to go through this pain, but I hope you may find comfort in knowing that God cares about how you feel and that He promises that ?there is going to be a resurrection.? (Acts 24:15) (1 Peter 5:7) Won?t that be wonderful to see our loved ones again! I hope this promise brings you comfort as it does me."

Corey Thompson wrote on Dec 19, 2018:

"DeeDee was a neighbor of ours at Rose Lake in Minnesota. We loved her positive atturude, her smile and her genuine love of life. She was a very special lady. Tom and Corey Thompson"

C.Lindly wrote on Dec 15, 2018:

"Lady Mav Proud! RIP, Dee!!"

Sue McFarland Hayes wrote on Dec 14, 2018:

"My deepest sympathy to Ms. Grindle's friends & family. I have fond memories of my former teacher at BHS. She was fun, but disciplined with her students and quite caring. It seems like every time she yelled, "STOP", during typing class, she did it standing by me. It makes me laugh now, but it kind of made me jump, then. May you rest in peace."

Karen .l Jochim wrote on Dec 14, 2018:

"Dee Grindle was a wonderful, awesome, but not perfect , mind you. We taught together at Benson High School. In our last year,we taught an Business English/Computer class. As warm and caring person, her classroom was one of learning and solid effort, but still there was humor and fun. Golfing with Dee was much the same but her efforts produced a better product. Retirement has lots of benefits but tended to separate us. After spending five years at Lake Kiowa, we traveled widely in our motorhome. We included Jupiter to see Dee and Sonja. Their moving to TN was prompted partially because of those Winter snowbirds. Lol. Or the poisonous frogs. The attraction of TN could have been the four seasons or the outstanding TN basketball teams and coach. Visiting DEE at the lake was a treat with the loons and nature all around. Great setting for her paintings and hobbies. Arnie and Zimbabwe send our most sincere condolences and may Gob be with all us.. KLJochim. In honor of Dee?s memory, we have sent a donation to Nebraska Humane Society."

Joy wrote on Dec 12, 2018:

"So sorry to hear of Dee's passing. Enjoyed years of playing sports and friendship with Dee."

Dan Shaw wrote on Dec 10, 2018:

"So sorry to hear this. She sat right in front of me all 4 years of high school. A great athlete. "