Ramon Arthur (Art) Desautels, age 89, of Mesa, AZ, passed away on June 21st, 2024, surrounded by his loving family.
Born February 6, 1935, in Michigan, ND, to Ernest and Rosalia (Fink) Desautels, Art arrived as the 10th of 11 children. He attended school in Michigan, participated in Boy Scouts and later high school basketball, baseball, and football, and graduated with the class of 1953. He attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and became a proud member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, and a life-long UND Fighting Sioux sports fan. He also was a member of the North Dakota Army National Guard.
In his sophomore year at UND, Art met Jean Mae Wavra, and the two were married on September 1, 1959, at St Michael’s Catholic Church in Grand Forks. The first 10 years of Art and Jean’s marriage were spent in Grand Forks, where Art worked as a land surveyor and draftsman for Richmond Engineering. In the summer of 1970, the family moved to Crookston, MN where he was employed as a Civil Engineer and Vice President with Widseth, Smith, Nolting Engineering for 35 years before retiring in 2004. Professionally, Art was a member of the ND Land Surveyors Association, the ND Land Surveyors Registration and MN Engineers Association. After retirement, Art and Jean became snowbirds in Mesa, AZ and eventually moved there full time.
As a parishioner with Jean at St. Michael’s, he joined the St. Michael’s Men’s Club and was a parish Boy Scout Troop Advisor. During their marriage, Art and Jean were involved in Marriage Encounter, Cursillo, and were members of the Crookston Diocese Family Life Commission. They also participated in the Charismatic Renewal, becoming prayer group leaders in Crookston and Grand Forks for many years. In 1978 Art and Jean with five other Crookston couples saw a need to offer food and fellowship to those in the community who were alone at Thanksgiving. This became a tradition, and the Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner continues to this day serving over 500 people last year.
In Crookston, Art participated in several faith-based activities and committees including, the Crookston Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Crookston Week of Prayer Team and the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Team. He actively sought out opportunities to share his faith with those who had little, spending Sunday afternoons for years at Tri-County Community Corrections center, listening to the stories of the incarcerated and tending to the spiritual needs of so many.
Never one to pass up a good pun, Art enjoyed word puzzles and a competitive game of Scrabble. Most notably, he loved a spirited game of Whist, spending hours over the years playing with family and friends, passing on the love of the game to his grandchildren.
Art loved his wife, Jean and his children with his whole heart, often telling them so through word and letter, asking God’s blessing on each with a hug or sign of the cross on their forehead.
His family will remember his ever-constant mantra, “Don’t worry about the things you can’t control. Trust in the Lord.”
Art is survived by his loving wife and life partner of 65 years, Jean, Mesa, AZ; and his children: Denise (Dan) Sheridan, Burnsville, MN; Sheila (Kevin) Bosh, Grand Forks, ND; Monica (Shaugnessy) Reynolds, Poway, CA; Annette Hague, Centennial, CO; Robert (Deanne) Desautels, Mesa, AZ; Rachel (Carl) Erickson, Orlando, FL; Timothy (Patty) Desautels, Williston, ND; Sarah Desautels, San Diego, CA; and 20 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild. He is also survived by his sister Annette Farrell of Eau Claire, WI, brother Earnest (Judy) Desautels of Milwaukee, WI, and sister-in-law Doris (Fred) Desautels of Fargo, ND.
Art was preceded in death by sisters Jean, Barbara, Rita, Bernadine, and Reine; and brothers Hermann, Dick, and Fred.
In lieu of flowers, the family has designated Care and Share of Crookston for memorial contributions. https://www.givemn.org/organization/Care-And-Share
Visitation: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Monday, July 1, 2024, with prayer service at 7:00 pm. Norman Funeral Home, 2950 S. Washington St., Grand Forks, ND.
Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 am, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, 524 5th Ave. N, Grand Forks, ND.
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