Commander Maurice Henri Desseyn (Des), USN (Ret.), USNA Class of ‘54, 8th Company, died peacefully on August 16, 2007 at Charlotte Medical Center, Charlotte, N.C. after a year long struggle with Myelofibrosis.
He was born in East Moline, Illinois to Remi and Irma Defauw, both from Tielt, Belgium. After graduating from United Township High School of East Moline in 1947, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Station. He was an electrician’s mate on the USS Furse and USS Dixie.
Des took the fleet wide competition exams and was selected for the U.S. Naval Academy. He spent the next year (‘49-‘50) at Naval Preparatory School. He graduated from the USNA in 1954, and went aboard destroyers USS Wisconsin and USS Krause. He transferred to flight school in Pensacola, Fla where he met his future wife, Dolores Elaine Tellas, from Detroit, Michigan. They were married in Yuma, Arizona October 12, 1957. In September of that year Des joined VA 145-Swordsman squadron in San Diego, made two cruises on the USS Ranger and one on the USS Oriskany. He was then transferred to Brown Field, San Diego to fly B-26's.
Upon completion of post graduate school in Monterey, California, Des was stationed at the Pentagon as Special Assistant for Data Operations to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Two years later he was stationed at Cecil Field, Jacksonville, Florida which included an 11 month cruise to the Mediterranean aboard the Shangri-la flying A4-D’s. He returned to the Pentagon, where he retired in September 1971.
Des was employed as CEO of a construction company in Roanoke, Va. for five years. He later became a real estate broker, eventually owning his own company, “Desseyn and Associates.”
Des is survived by: his wife of 50 years, Dolores (Dodie) and their five children; Larry (Renie) of Phoebus, Va, Donald (Marcia) of York, Pa, Dave (Karen) of Lexington, SC, Paul (Angie) of Charlotte, NC, and Lizette (Ed) Russell of Northern VA., and 13 grandchildren; his brother, Lawrence (Larry) of Chesterfield, Mo., and his sister, Lizette L Desseyn, of East Moline, Il.
Interment will be at the Arlington National Cemetery at 11:00 am on November 14, 2007.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: USNA Foundation, 291 Wood Road, Beach Hall, Annapolis, MD 21402.
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