Arnold "Buzz" Dass

“Did you hear the one about…”

Arnold “Buzz” Dass was born June 28, 1938 to John and Mathilda “Tillie” (Sterzinger) Dass on a farm in Lake Stay Township, Minnesota. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Dionysius Catholic Church in Tyler. He attended country school and Ivanhoe schools. Following a tornado in 1955, he attended school in Tyler and graduated from Tyler High School in 1957. He was united in marriage to Joyce Bakker on October 11, 1958 at St. Dionysius Catholic Church in Tyler. Their union was blessed with 5 children and 52 years of marriage together. After their marriage the couple moved to Spring Valley, Minnesota where Buzz managed Skell Gas. In 1961, they moved to Tyler and he worked for Tyler Wholesale and in 1965 became owner and operator until his retirement in 2003. Buzz died on August 31, 2011 at Midwest Regional Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 73 years, 2 months, and 3 days.

Buzz was a member of St. Dionysius Catholic Church in Tyler. He was a member of Tyler Lions Club, Tyler Clown Club, Aebleskiver Committee, Tyler Fire Department, Commercial Club, and Minnesota Wholesale Marketers Association. He loved woodworking, hunting and fishing, playing cards and dice, telling stories, greeting and visiting at the Wooden Diamond Bed and Breakfast, Joyce’s cooking, cocktail hour, loud T.V. and especially loved time spent with his family. Buzz will be remembered as a loving husband, dad, and grandpa with a big heart.

Buzz will be lovingly remembered by his wife Joyce of Lake Benton, Minnesota; children, Jody (Dick) White of Fort Pierre, South Dakota, Curt (Kari) Dass of Tyler, Minnesota, Leann (Doumit) Ishak of Raleigh, North Carolina, Laron (Haylee) Dass of Montgomery, Alabama, Danielle (Brian) Brezina of Cary, North Carolina; grandchildren, Amanda (David) Williams, Michelle (Nate) Preston, Eric Benz, Justin (Erin) Dass, Tasia Dass, Karmina Ishak, Georgina Ishak, Amira Ishak, Laron Dass Jr., Tyler Brezina, Austin Brezina; great-grandchildren, Ashlyn, Logan, Megan, Van, and Jaxon. He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Dorothy Zgoda.

In lieu of flowers, please direct memorials to the Tyler Endowment Fund.