Delbert Lee Streid

On Sunday August 3rd, 2014, Delbert Lee Streid passed away at his home in Tallahassee after a year long battle with cancer. He was a fighter through and through, and kept a positive and optimistic spirit to the end. Delbert was born on July 23rd, 1950 in Normal, Illinois to Delmar and Dorothy Streid of Chenoa , Illinois. He was their first born son, and second of four children. Chenoa is a small farming community just outside of Bloomington, Illinois, where his parents were also born and raised. Delbert grew up on his family's farm where they kept cattle, as well as a large chicken operation, Streid's Eggs. As a true family business, Delbert and his siblings had important roles helping their parents on the farm, although Delbert's mischievous and playful personality quite often allowed him to get sidetracked with BB guns and "harmless" pranks on his brothers and sister, Dennis, Dan, and Diane. Delbert attended grade school in his home town, and graduated from the Chenoa High School in 1968. He attended Robert Morris College in Carthage, Illinois from 1968-1970 where he obtained an Associate in Arts Degree, and Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois from 1970-1971 where he attended classes in Business Administration. In 1974, with youth by his side and adventure at his fingertips, he loaded his car and moved 1300 miles south to Florida. He started out briefly in Ft Lauderdale, working at the airport, but then traded east for west landing in Ft Myers, Fl. It was here in 1975 that he met the love of his life, Dianne. Dianne was born and grew up in Ft Myers, where her family was also in the farming business. It was love at first sight when they met for the first time at a local laundromat. The two were married on April 10th, 1976. Shortly after marriage, Del and Dianne moved west to the small coastal town of Santa Cruz, California. They lived there for about a year, but returned to Florida shortly after the birth of their first son, Seth, in 1977. Back in Ft Myers, Delbert worked at Yoder Brothers Inc, a high volume nursery, and later with his wife's family, managing orange groves on their farm. It was long hours and hard work, but Del enjoyed the outdoors and worked very hard for his family. In 1979, Delbert's family grew again with the birth of his second son, Chadwick. Delbert and his family lived in Ft Myers for almost a decade and a half. After leaving the orange groves, he started working at a local boat yard and worked his way up in to management. It was around this time that Del developed his love for boating and the ocean. He enjoyed sailing and spent any free time he could on the water. In 1992, Delbert decided it was time for a change and moved his family to Tallahassee. Here, with his boys in middle and high school, Del decided to continue his own education. In 1992, he began taking classes at Tallahassee Community College, and in 1994 achieved his degree in Civil Engineering. Shortly after this, Delbert began working for the State, which eventually led to his position at FEMA. His work within the agency had him stationed all over the southern United States. From Orlando to Atlanta to Montgomery and then finally to Gulfport, Mississippi where he was Deputy Director at the US Department of Homeland Security, Mississippi Recovery Office. To sum Delbert up in a few words, is a task that is just not possible. Such a caring, charming, and ambitious man can not be described with words alone. Instead, his actions defined him. He was a loving and devoted husband and father, who enjoyed hunting with his boys and camping as a family when they were younger. He was a doting grandfather and uncle who cherished every moment he spent with his grandchildren, Madelyn, Garrett, Mason, and Austin, and held a special bond with his niece Kaiti. He was a caring son and thoughtful brother, who dearly loved his mother, and never forgot his roots. He was a fair and thoughtful boss, and a loyal employee wherever he worked. Most importantly, he was a role model, and a joy to everyone who had the pleasure and honor of knowing him. Delbert is survived by his wife, Dianne, his sons, Seth (Amber) and Chadwick (Ashley), his grandchildren, Madelyn, Garrett, Mason, and Austin, his mother, Dorothy, his siblings , Diane (David) Penicook, Dennis (Mitzi), and Dan, and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Delmar Streid. For those who knew and loved him, we invite you to join us in a celebration of his life on Sunday, August 10th at his beloved Beach House at 715 Buck Street on St. George Island, Fl. Visitation will befrom 4pm to 7pm, with a memorial service to follow. For questions or help with directions, please call (850) 408-5550.

Tributes

Delbert Lee Streid

July 23, 1950 - August 3, 2014