Ament, Donald C. 'Pooch'

Donald C. “Pooch” Ament, 59, of Dyersville, died Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, after a two-year battle with MDS/AML (leukemia). Friends may call from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville, where a parish Scripture service will be held at 1 p.m. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Monday at St. Francis Xavier Basilica, Dyersville. Burial: church cemetery. The Rev. Phil Kruse will officiate.

Don was born April 4, 1950, at Xavier Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa, the son of Urban “Prex” and Anita (Whiting) Ament. He attended Xavier Grade School, Xavier High School and graduated in 1968 from Beckman High School. He also attended the University of Iowa for two years. On Oct. 18, 1986, he married Margie Schlichte at the Basilica of St.

Francis Xavier. Their daughter, Ellie Marie, was born to them on Feb. 26, 1994.

He spent his entire 39-year career at Ertl and RC2 in Dyersville, where he held jobs from die cast operator, fork lift operator, shipping and receiving, assembly line, finance clerk, expediter, buyer, import purchasing manager, product planning manager and lastly vice president of product planning for RC2.

His passion was golf and in his later years helping and watching Ellie rapidly excel in the game that was so much a part of his life. He was a numerous club and city champion and was inducted into the Eastern Iowa Golf Association Hall of Fame in 1996. He was part of the 1965 Iowa High School State Championship team for Xavier High School. Don also was a big Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears and Iowa Hawkeye fan. He was very active in the Jaycees for 10 years and was a past president. He also served on the Dyersville Country Club Board for 2 ½ terms as well as DAFFI for two years.

Survivors include his wife, Margie; one daughter, Ellie at home; one brother, Michael (Geralyn) Ament of Mesa, Ariz.; one sister, Mary Ritter of Minneapolis; mother-in-law, Mildred Schlichte; in-laws, Kathy (Marty) Helle, Dianne

(Ted) Kluesner, Deb (Loras) Digmann, John (Kelly) Schlichte, Ann (Todd) Kelleher, Jeff (Teresa) Schlichte, Dan (Mary) Schlichte, Jim (Susie) Schlichte and Pat (Donna) Schlichte; an aunt, Dorothy (Whiting) Beyer of Manchester; an uncle, Gene Whiting of Delhi; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his father-in-law, Alvin Schlichte; a brother-in-law, Jack Ritter; and two nephews.

Memorials are preferred toward the Beckman High School Girls Golf Team or the 7th Floor Bone Marrow Unit at University Hospitals.

Information available and condolences accepted at