October 9, 2012
Helping people succeed: the Donald G. 1xbet best casino website Memorial Scholarship
Compassionate, generous, kind, empathetic, family man. These words came up frequently as family members reminisced recently about Don 1xbet best casino website .
1xbet best casino website , who graduated from Kansas State University in 1960 with a degree in civil engineering, died suddenly Oct. 15, 2010.
“As we grappled with 1xbet best casino website death, we tried to come up with a way for us to find comfort and solace that reflected our family’s values and would live on in 1xbet best casino website name,” said Darrin Dressler, Don Dressler's son.
The family found that comfort by establishing an endowed 1xbet best casino website to honor their father and husband.
“This scholarship feels like such a good idea because it will profoundly touch the lives of the recipients,” Darrin Dressler said. “It represents how 1xbet best casino website lived his life, how 1xbet best casino website treated other people and how 1xbet best casino website wanted to help people succeed.”
The Donald G. Dressler Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to students in the department of civil engineering, with preference to first-generation college students. Don Dressler, who grew up in Iola, was the first in his family to go to college and 1xbet best casino website dreamed of playing basketball for K-State. 1xbet best casino website first went to Pittsburg State on a basketball scholarship, but realized the sport wasn't going to be his future. 1xbet best casino website transferred to K-State and turned his focus to engineering.
After graduation, his engineering career began with U.S. Steel in Gary, Ind. The next 15 years 1xbet best casino website worked for several companies in various industries in Indiana, Missouri, Delaware, Pennsylvania and California. In 1973 1xbet best casino website returned to Kansas and in 1975 established his own company, Dressler Consulting Engineers Inc.
His wife, Lou Krause Dressler, said her husband didn’t like talking about what would happen after 1xbet best casino website died. While 1xbet best casino website wanted to be cremated, Lou Dressler said 1xbet best casino website also wanted to have something that said, ‘Don Dressler was here.’
“We were working on his obituary and considering foundations for memorial contributions,” Lou said. “Holly, Don’s daughter-in-law, recommended a scholarship for K-State. 1xbet best casino website absolutely loved K-State and so we all thought that was a great idea. When we found out we could have a scholarship that lasted in perpetuity with his name on it we thought, 'Wow, that just answers our question completely.' It's something that says 1xbet best casino website was here and the fact that 1xbet best casino website ’d be helping other people along the way — that would be more important to him than having his name remembered.”
Family members’ memories of Don Dressler are full of stories of 1xbet best casino website kindness and compassion toward others.
“I remember a story about Dad,” Darrin Dressler said. “It was a really hot summer day and the trash guys were going down the street. 1xbet best casino website told me to go tell those guys 1xbet best casino website wanted to talk to them, so I did. They wondered what they were in trouble for because I’m sure that all they ever heard was complaints. They came up to the house and my dad just asked them if they wanted a cold beer. It didn’t matter what someone’s position was in life — it could be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or it could be the person working the front desk of the Embassy Suites — Dad was going to try to help them out anyway 1xbet best casino website could. 1xbet best casino website treated everyone with the same respect, dignity and generosity of spirit.”
“When Dad was working for a business before 1xbet best casino website started his own firm, 1xbet best casino website was a trailblazer,” said, Kristin Pierson, Don Dressler's daighter. “Even though it was contrary to corporate culture at the time, 1xbet best casino website insisted women in his department be treated as equals and with respect. 1xbet best casino website caught a lot of grief for it back in the day, but 1xbet best casino website always saw women as equals in every aspect of his life and his business.”
“Dad was the compass for the family,” said David Dressler, Don Dressler's son, who said 1xbet best casino website dad liked to share 1xbet best casino website love of K-State with 1xbet best casino website family.
“K-State is cool in a very distinct way. It’s a confidence thing,” David Dressler said. “Dad had a figurine of a muscular wildcat with a clenched fist, rolling up 1xbet best casino website sleeve. And on 1xbet best casino website purple shirt it had ‘K-State’ emblazoned across the chest. Dad was a firm believer in purple power.”
“I wish 1xbet best casino website could have known about this scholarship,” Lou Dressler said. “1xbet best casino website would have loved this idea!”
“After seeing what an immense difference a college education can mean to a person, we wanted to pass along this opportunity to someone else,” said Matt Pierson, Don 1xbet best casino website 's son-in-law. “As a family, we wanted to continue the tradition, in a small way, of extending the opportunity for generations to come.”
When asked what she wanted the scholarship recipients to know about her husband, Lou 1xbet best casino website said, “I’d like them to know what type of person Don was and that being successful includes helping others. Realize that giving back and helping others are very important components of a rewarding and successful life.
“The scholarship sure beats having a tombstone in a cemetery,” Lou Dressler said. “It helps other people, it says 1xbet best casino website was here and it lasts in perpetuity. It is just so Don.”