Easton S. DeVries

Easton Slade DeVries, 19, died Friday, July 28, 2023, at the University of Iowa Hospital, Iowa City; surrounded by his loving family.  Easton gave the gift of sight with the Iowa Lions Eye Bank through the Gift of Life Donor program.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service for Easton, will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 8, at the Surf Ballroom and Museum, 460 North Shore Drive, Clear Lake, with Reverend Dr. Jacqueline Thompson officiating.

A memorial visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 7, at the Surf Ballroom and Museum.

Easton Slade DeVries was born on Dec. 10, 2003 to Jared and Jamie (Gruenberg) DeVries. He would tell you that he was born in Detroit, Mich., but it was actually at St. Jo’s Hospital in Pontiac, Mich. Either way, Easton was proud of his Michigan roots. He was welcomed home by big brother and best friend, Jaylen.

Easton battled for his health from the start with several surgeries and hospital stays to deal with his congenital heart condition. Despite that, he was a smiley baby who grew into a rambunctious kid who never understood the words “slow down.” After Jared retired from the NFL, the family headed back to Iowa and made their home in Clear Lake.

E grew up loving the lake and could be found many evenings at the end of the dock and even on the frozen lake…. catching fish. What he didn’t know is that his mom secretly loved her chats with no interruptions and it really didn’t even matter if the fish were biting.

Easy played sports because that’s where the socializing happened or maybe it was because of his love for the Detroit Lions.  Maybe E always thought he could be the next Matthew Stafford.  While he was not the fastest to first base, he always had the best hair on the team. He did find his groove with golf and played in the state tournament both as an individual and in the Co-Ed meet where he was State Champion. If he ever played poorly, he was known to tell his fans they just got more for their money.  Easton also discovered a love of sailing. He was both a crew and a skipper and made many friends on the water. He also helped the next generation of sailors by working at sailing school…..A true lil’ Shiphead.  And possibly the activity that best showed his charisma…..the once a year Co-Ed performance with the dance team.

Perhaps E’s true calling was being a hype man. He led the student section in football and basketball and his costumes were things of legend. He traveled to support Jaylen, his friends and cousins, everything from Arch Madness to the Well. And that was really how he lived his life, always in the front row. He couldn’t always be on the stage, but his love and enthusiasm for his people made him a bright light.  So while his name might not have appeared on every roster, Easton was always an integral part of all the teams he supported.

Easton loved life and he loved his family. He could get away with things his cousin Taylor would never dream of and he made people laugh. E enjoyed spending time with his girlfriend of two years, Ella Ollenberg. He was angry about one thing….his very tall, very much younger than him girl cousins.

After graduating from Clear Lake High School in 2022, Easton attended the University of Iowa where he was studying Finance and was recently accepted into the Tippey College of Business. He made the most of his freshman year and lived life in the basement of Burge to the fullest. From his love of poker to crazy nights and maybe mornings with friends, E embraced being a Hawkeye.

He might not be the tallest DeVries cousin, but Easton had the spirit of a warrior. He fought long and hard and his courage knew no boundaries.  The feisty spirit allowed him to win battles no one expected him to, but he sailed home on July 28, 2023.

Easton leaves behind so many who cannot imagine life without him, including his parents, Jared and Jamie DeVries; older brother, Jaylen; grandparents, Vern and Marge DeVries and David Gruenberg; several aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, bartenders and makers of chicken lips.  

Easton joined his Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Rip Marston and we know those three are glad to see each other. 

Our lives are forever changed because Easton made them brighter, more full of laughter and showed us what courage means.  Team E is big because Easton was always in the front row of life.  He made everyone he met feel like a best friend and the most important person in the world.  We honor him when we remember that life is to be lived loud and with a smile on our faces.

Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.