Richard "Dick" Irish

Richard "Dick" Burt Irish, 92, life-long resident of Nevada, Iowa, died on Sunday, January 20, 2008 at the Iowa Jewish Senior Life Center in Des Moines, where he had resided for the last four years.  Graveside services will be held 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 23 at the Nevada Municipal Cemetery.  Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 22 with the family present from 5-7:00 p.m. at Chet Ryan Mortuary, 708 Fifth Street in Nevada.Dick was born on October 12, 1915 in Montour, Iowa, son of Carl and Ruth (Reed) Irish.  He graduated from Nevada High School in 1933, studied journalism at Drake University for three years, and joined his father, Carl, and brother, Duncan, in the management and operation of the Nevada Poultry Company, founded in Nevada in 1879 and purchased by the Irish family in 1922.  Dick retired as president of the company in 1983.Dick married the love of his life, Corene Frush, on August 3, 1941, in Pleasantville, Iowa.  They were married over fifty years before Corene's death on January 15, 1992.He was active in Nevada as a member of the Rotary Club and the Nevada School Board and was named an honorary parade marshal for the 1988 Lincoln Highway Days ce...[more]

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Days celebration in recognition of his business leadership in the community.  Dick loved his family and friends, respected the many men and women who worked in his poultry business and felt a deep sense of loyalty to his community.  He was an avid horseman and lifelong student of American history, especially the Civil War.Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Claudia and Warren Pitcher of West Des Moines; his son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Julie Irish of Moline, IL; five grandchildren, Mike (Mary) Pitcher and Nick (Jessica Bergen) Pitcher, all of Des Moines, Karen Pitcher of St. Petersburg, FL, Tom (Laura) Irish of Sterling, IL and Anne (Joel) Bohnsack of Taylor Ridge, IL; two great granddaughters, Colleen Irish and Lilyanne Bohnsack; stepsister Sue Squires of Greenville, TX; brother-in-law, John Freeland of Des Moines; six nieces and two nephews.He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Corene on January 15, 1992, stepmother Nelle (Peters) Irish, a brother Duncan, and his sister, Patricia Freeland. . 
Service:
Graveside services will be held 1:00 PM at Nevada Municipal Cemetery 1026 1st Street Nevada, IA 50201 on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 (map/driving directions)
Cemetery:
Nevada Municipal Cemetery 1026 1st Street Nevada, IA 50201 (map/driving directions)