Lisle Corp. is saddened by the loss of Frederick Vernon Lisle, president of Lisle Corp., who passed while surrounded by his immediate family after a battle with pneumonia on Tuesday, March 27.
As part of the fourth generation of the Lisle family, he devoted his entire career of nearly 36 years to fostering the continued growth of Lisle Corp., which was founded in 1903. Fred Lisle was a friend to so many in the automotive aftermarket industry and far beyond. He was a caring and compassionate leader who enjoyed a good laugh and an occasional practical joke.
Lisle first began working at the company in the assembly department during the summer while in college. In 1982, he joined the company full-time and worked in the time study department. From there, he moved into the sales department, became advertising manager, national accounts manager, and then vice president of sales and marketing. In 2009, he was named president of Lisle Corp. Under his leadership, the company experienced steady growth in sales and market share. He spearheaded the purchase and successful move from Connecticut to Iowa of the Dunham Tool Division in 2015.
Lisle volunteered his time and expertise as an elected Trustee of Iowa Western Community College and put in extraordinary effort helping to build and promote the Iowa Western Center for Excellence in Manufacturing Program (CEAM) at the Clarinda campus. He was a former board member of the Automotive Sales Council and remained involved in the group as a longtime member.
Lisle is survived by his wife Brenda, and his sons Eddie and Andy, who, along with other members of the Lisle family, are involved in the business.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 31 at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Clarinda, Iowa. Visitation will take place from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, March 30, at Ritchie Funeral Home in Clarinda. An obituary, tribute wall and other information can be found at ritchiefuneralhome.com. Memorials will be used to create the Fred Lisle Scholarship at Iowa Western Community College in Clarinda.
