Charles W. Dees, 86, of Bonnie, Illinois, passed away at 5:43 pm on Friday, May 23, 2025 at SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon, Illinois.
Charles was born May 18, 1939 in Jefferson County, Illinois, the son of Orland C. Dees and Nina B. (Jones) Dees. He married Carole R. (Lynch) on June 14, 1959 at his parents home in Waltonville, Illinois and she survives in Bonnie.
Mr. Dees was a graduate of Waltonville High School Class of 1957. Charles first worked at A and P Grocery in Mount Vernon from 1957 to 1965. In 1966, he was employed by US Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Division, St. Louis District at Rend Lake. He worked as Inspector during construction of Rend Lake until 1973 and then transferred to Clarence Cannon Lake near Hannibal, Missouri. In 1974, he transferred to Locks 27 at Granite City, Illinois until 1975 and then transferred back to Rend Lake as Maintenance Supervisor, US Army Corps of Engineers, Operations Division. He later became Assistant Park Manager until his retirement in 1993. During his employment with the Corps of Engineers, he was deployed on numerous occasions with Emergency Operations during Mississippi River Flooding and also Hurricane Disasters in South Carolina, South Florida, and the Island of American Samoa in the South Pacific.
In 1994, he enjoyed the engineering firm under contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers where he served as Project Manager of Quality Assurance on a flood control project in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In 1996, he joined The Federal Emergency Management Agency as a Disaster Assistance Employee and worked in several states that received emergency declarations as a result of natural disasters. In 2001, he joined Fluor Government Services under contract with The Federal Emergency Management Agency where he deployed to Texas (Tropical Storm Allison), Louisiana (Hurricane Katrina), and Texas (Hurricane Ike) until 2009. From 2009 to 2011 he was employed by US Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, to oversee construction of the new Rend Lake Administration Building and Visitor Center.
He loved his family very much and highlights included the many vacations the whole family enjoyed together.
Charles is survived by his wife, Carole Dees of Bonnie; two daughters, Angela Summers and husband, Doug of Bonnie and Shelley McDowell of husband, Mitch of Mount Vernon; son-in-law, Steven Snow and wife, Renee of Mount Vernon; brother, Ernest Dees and wife, Debbie of Mount Vernon; sister-in-law, Karen Newell of Scheller, Illinois; brother-in-law, Douglas Lynch and wife, Joyce of Carlinville, Illinois; seven grandchildren, Joshua Summers and wife, Francisca, Hannah Fullerton and husband, Britt, Elisha Smith and husband, Michael, Grace Payne and husband, Troy, all of Mount Vernon, Blake Snow and wife Kayla of Bonnie, Taylor Martin and husband, Mitchell of Salem, Illinois, and Ella Capps of Mount Vernon; thirteen great-grandchildren, Emory, Emmah, and Emersyn Summers, Hadassah, Evelyn, and Jubilee Fullerton, Scarlett and Miriam Payne, Judah and Isaiah Snow, Harper Martin, and Makayla and Miah Smith.
Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Orland and Nina Dees; daughter, Twila Snow; granddaughter, Twanna Snow; great-grandson, Duane Snow; and brother-in-law, Philip Newell.
A Visitation will be held Thursday, May 29, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Newell Funeral Home in Waltonville, Illinois. A Private Family Graveside Service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on May 30, 2025 South Hickory Hill Cemetery in Mount Vernon. Interment will follow service. Memorials may be made in Charles’s honor to South Hickory Hill Cemetery and will be accepted at the funeral home.
Call Newell Funeral Home at 618-279-7272 or visit newellfuneralhome.com for further information.