David Dews, who was city manager of De Soto from 1999 to 2017 and went on to become the executive director of the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation, died today (March 18).
He was 59 and is survived by his wife, Patty, two stepchildren and a grandson.
Dennis Hovis, chairman of the EDC’s board, confirmed that Mr. Dews died but had no further details.
Arrangements are unknown.
Mr. Dews also served for seven months on the De Soto Board of Education in 2016 and 2017 to fill a vacancy.
He was the honorary chairman and spoke as a cancer survivor at the Festus Relay for Life in 2014.
At the time, he said he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2006 and started treatments in January 2007, finishing the treatments that summer with the condition in remission.
Mr. Dews held bachelor’s degrees in business administration and chemistry.
He was a member of the Missouri Economic Development Council, the Jefferson County Growth Association, the Highway 21 Task Force (serving as its chairman since 2015) and the Safety First Coalition. He was president of the De Soto Rotary Club, De Soto Chamber of Commerce and the De Soto Community Foundation and was chairman of the Hwy. 21 Task Force.
He also was on the EDC board from 1999 to 2017 and was its chairman for 14 years before he stepped down after he was named the executive director.
County Executive Dennis Gannon said he worked with Mr. Dews when Gannon was a member of the De Soto Board of Education and Mr. Dews was De Soto’s city manager.
“I thought he did a fine job at De Soto,” Gannon said. “They had some fine improvements in De Soto over the years that he was city manager.”