FRED LEE NOON

published on November 18, 2009


FRED LEE NOON


Des Moines, Iowa


Fred Lee Noon was born on September 16, 1950, in Des Moines, Iowa. He died November 15, 2009, of an accidental fire in his camping van. We have lost a compassionate brother.
Fred was a life-long resident of Des Moines, attending Clarkson Elementary, Harding Jr. High, and Des Moines Tech High. He received a degree in Labor Studies from DMACC. He was a life-long learner and enjoyed taking classes of interest.
He volunteered for the US Army in 1968, and served in the Viet Nam war. He was an Army Ranger in the 138th Company of the 82nd Airborne Division where he received many decorations. He especially enjoyed parachuting. He was a member of the AmVets, VFW, and various other military service organizations.
He was an employee of the Public Works Department for the City of Des Moines and retired after 33 years of service.
He served many years as President of the Laborers Union Local 353 and always had the welfare of the members at heart. He organized and distributed Holiday food baskets. He was a mentor to young members.
He received the 2006 John L. Lewis Award for outstanding organized labor leadership and making major contributions toward human and civil rights in the State of Iowa presented by the South Central Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO.
He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing, scuba diving, and relaxing under the night sky with friends and his dog Stryker. He participated in the "Outdoor Dan" show as a cameraman. Among his other hobbies were gun collecting and Civil War reenactment. He was accomplished in the martial arts and was a Kung-Fu instructor.
He served as a Board Member for the Izaak Walton League and volunteered for many activities such as the Kids Fishing Day. He was a member of Ducks Unlimited, the NRA, and many other organizations.
He was an active member of the Democratic party and served in volunteer functions such as Delegate and Election Poll Observer. He counted many of the national and local leaders as his friends, especially Dick Deardon and Leonard Boswell.
He was predeceased in death by his mother Betty Noon and his sister JoAnne Enbusk. Surviving are 7 brothers and sisters: Charolette Kaster of Cedar Rapids, Larry (Alice) Noon of Grimes, James (Chris) Noon of Ankeny, Carol (Joe) Harter of Arizona, Richard Noon of Cedar Rapids, Patty Mitchell of Ames, Dorothy (Marc) Gergen of Michigan; brother-in-law Francis Enbusk of Des Moines. Fred never married but enjoyed numerous nieces and nephews and was especially close to his nephew Sean Mitchell of Des Moines.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, November 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Hamilton's on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines. Burial with full military honors will be at Violet Hill Cemetery in Perry, IA on Friday, November 20 at 10 a.m. The cemetery is on the north side of Perry at 8th & Park. A celebration of life will be held at the Izaak Walton League, 4343 George Flagg Pkwy in Des Moines (formerly Valley Drive) on Friday, November 20 at 12:00 noon.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Izaak Walton League or to AmVets.