Ron Shivers, Owner of Dee Zee, Passes Away at 73

The family of Ron Shivers, owner of Dee Zee truck accessories company, announced his passing on Aug. 19. He was 73.

Shivers spent more than four decades helping build Dee Zee, developing many longstanding relationships across the industry along the way. His family issued a statement:

“Ron was proud to help build Dee Zee into a company that created jobs and opportunities for generations of Iowa families, but he believed success came with a responsibility to give back. He cared more about the difference he could make than the recognition he received. His legacy lives in the company he helped build, the causes he championed and the countless people who benefited from his generosity.”

Ron Shivers Obituary

Ronald “Ron” Wayne Shivers, 73, of Altoona, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Aug. 19, 2026.

Ron is survived by his wife, Bev; children Kelli (Mark) Gallagher, Kerri (Andy) Minor and Jeremy Shivers (Andy Pollen); grandchildren Trevor (Hannah), Austin (Jocelyn) and Kinser Gallagher, and Dawson (Shauna Martin) and Sawyer Minor; and great-grandchildren Keaton and Macklin Gallagher. He is survived by his siblings Cindy (Stan) Smelser, Neal (Carol) Shivers and sister-in-law Mary Shivers; and many nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Betty, and brother, Gary.

Born July 9, 1953, in Des Moines, Ron grew up in the Bondurant area, graduating from Bondurant-Farrar High School in 1971. He married his high school sweetheart, Bev, beginning a partnership that would span more than 56 years. He later attended Drake University on a wrestling scholarship, earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting.

After earning his CPA designation, Ron began his career with Farmers’ Grain Dealers Association and Conrad & Associates before joining Dee Zee Inc. as controller in 1978. He was promoted to president in 1987 and spent the following decades guiding the company through tremendous growth and changing markets. He eventually acquired full ownership of Dee Zee before retiring in 2013.

Dee Zee was one of the great joys of Ron’s life, but for him, the company was always about the people. He valued what they built together and especially the opportunities he was able to give others. His generosity often extended beyond the workplace, helping people when they needed it most.

That same generosity reached throughout the community, particularly in education, athletics and agriculture. He gave his time and resources to schools and athletic programs, 4-H and FFA, county fairs, the Iowa State Fair and many other organizations. Drake University dedicated the Shivers Basketball Practice Facility in 2014 in recognition of the family’s contributions. Rising Sun Church of Christ was also an important part of his life and faith.

Raised in a farming family, Ron showed cattle through 4-H as a boy and later shared that tradition with his children and grandchildren. His commitment to Iowa agriculture was recognized with his induction into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame in 2015, as a Friend of the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement in 2023 and with the dedication of the Ron and Bev Shivers Family Plaza at the Iowa State Fair in 2025. That same year, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Away from work, he enjoyed farming and raising cattle, hunting and fishing, traveling and spending time with those closest to him. The annual Shivers-Nellor reunion was always a highlight, taking Ron, Bev and their family to destinations across the country.

For all he accomplished, family remained the center of his life. He valued the business he built and the community he served, but nothing meant more to him than the life he and Bev built together.

Ron was a good man who believed in showing up for others. That is how he lived, and that is how he will be remembered.

Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, at Rising Sun Church of Christ (6390 NE Rising Sun Dr, Pleasant Hill, IA, 50327). A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, at the church, with a luncheon to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Ron’s name to the Iowa 4-H Foundation or Rising Sun Church of Christ.