PORTAGEVILLE - Joseph Alphonse DeLisle, 88, died May 19, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.
Born Jan. 23, 1915, in Portageville, son of the late Alphonse and Mary O'Conner DeLisle, he entered Benedictine College in Atchinson, Kan., in 1936 and obtained a business degree from St. Louis Business College. In 1941, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served under Gen. George S. Patton. In 1947, DeLisle graduated from mortuary school and owned and operated DeLisle Funeral Home and also provided ambulance services before retiring. DeLisle was president of the Missouri Funeral Directors Association in 1974 and was the New Madrid County Public Administrator from 1973-1984. A charter member of the Portageville Jaycees, he was also instrumental in getting the Soybean Festival to Portageville.
On Sept. 11, 1954, in Memphis, Tenn., he married Mary Alice Stryker who preceded him in death on April 29, 1987.
Survivors include: one son and daughter-in-law, George A. and Tina DeLisle of Portageville; three daughters and two sons-in-law, Rita Jo and Edward Ross of Lexington, Mass., Renee' Suzanne Crumley of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Stella Louise and Timothy Young of Mount Vernon, Ky.; and 12 grandchildren, Kathleen Ross, Ken Ross, Connor Ross, Christopher Ross, Suzanne Crumley, Patrick Crumley, Mary Crumley, Austin DeLisle, JoBeth DeLisle, Al DeLisle, Brandon Young and Alexis Young.
He was also preceded in death by four sisters, Stella DeLisle in 1969, Ellen Milam DeLisle in 1987, Virgie Patterson in 1983 and Mary Louise DeLisle in 2001; and two brothers, Wayne DeLisle in 1981 and Louie DeLisle in 1924.
Visitation begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday at DeLisle Funeral Home.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Eustachius Catholic Church with the Rev. Otto Schneeback, officiating.
Burial will follow in the Portageville Cemetery.
Paid obituary