Funeral services for Jason Walter DeVos, 49, of Spirit Lake will be held at 10:30 am., Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Estherville with Father Paul Kelly officiating. Private family burial will take place at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery, Estherville. Military honor will be provided by VFW Post 3388 and American Legion Post 91, both of Estherville.
Visitation was held Wednesday at the Henry-Olson Funeral Home.
Jason Walter DeVos, son of James and Wynne (Mathine) DeVos, was born July 11, 1973, in Mt. Pleasant, IA. Jason passed away on September 4, 2022, in Spirit Lake, IA at the age of 49 after courageously battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) for nearly 13 years.
Jason grew up in Estherville, IA, was baptized and confirmed at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, and graduated from Estherville High School in 1991. Growing up, Jason was involved in everything—from neighborhood football games and boxing matches to little league baseball, football, wrestling, fishing, hunting and just about anything he could find to do. He was a natural talent at everything he tried and his passion eventually gravitated toward wrestling, where he became a state place winner for Estherville High School. He enlisted in the United States Navy in May of 1992 and was honorably discharged in May of 1996. While active, he completed basic training at Great Lakes Training Center in Chicago, Illinois and then attended the Charleston Naval Base in Charleston, SC. In 1996, he transferred to Camp LeJeune and served as a corpsman with the United States Marines. Upon completion of his service, he enrolled at Buena Vista University and graduated with a degree in Health Care Administration. Shortly after his graduation, he began his career with the Social Security Administration in Carroll, IA. His career eventually took him to St Paul, MN and then to Mason City, IA, where he was a manager until he resigned, due to his diagnosis with ALS.
Jason’s pride and joy was his two sons, Eric and Gavin. Family was everything to him and he made making memories a priority. As an avid baseball fan, he enjoyed taking trips across the country with his boys and siblings to experience as many Major League Baseball parks as he could. He also spent many hours with his dad, brothers and boys enjoying the outdoors as an avid hunter and fisherman. In addition, he spent countless hours assisting his boys in their sports training and following them all over the country watching them compete. He never missed a game or event--rain, snow, wind or shine.
Jason wanted more than anything to watch his boys grow and succeed. His fight was not in vain, as he was able to watch his sons graduate high school and college, experience Eric getting married and was blessed with a beautiful granddaughter.
Left to cherish Jason’s memory and to carry on his legacy are his sons, Eric DeVos (Betsy) and Gavin DeVos. He is also survived by his parents James and Wynne Devos, who have selflessly cared for Jason throughout his fight with ALS; his siblings – sister Sara Roberts (Shayne Graff), brothers Jeremiah DeVos and Josh DeVos (Nicki). He is also survived by his granddaughter, Bennie Joy DeVos; his nieces and nephews: Brody Roberts (Allison), Gage Roberts, Brennan DeVos, Eagan Roberts, Cade DeVos, Camden DeVos, Oliva DeVos, Ryker Graff, Celeste DeVos, and Harper Graff, and his great-nephews Theo and Eli Robert.
Jason is preceded in death by his grandparents Walter and Lola Mathine and William and Betty DeVos.
In lieu of flowers, our family requests that donations be made to The Jason DeVos Memorial, which will then be donated to the ALS Association-Iowa Chapter. Checks can be sent to: 710 38th St., Spirit Lake, IA 51360.
Online condolences can be left for Jason’s family at HenryOlsonFuneral.com
