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Dick Ebbesmier was a self-made man who liked to share his success.
“He took a lot of pride in mentoring people and giving them the kind of tools to be successful,” said his son, Tom Ebbesmier of Omaha.
Omahan Richard J. Ebbesmier died Saturday at Hospice House-The Josie Harper Residence. He was 75 and had lung cancer, said his son.
Dick Ebbesmier was 15 when he began working for Mid State Fire Sprinklers in his hometown of Burlington, Iowa.
Ebbesmier and a good friend, John McVey, and John’s brother, Bill McVey, started their own fire sprinkler company in Omaha. With 10 employees at its founding in 1971, Continental Fire Sprinkler grew to more than 350 employees with offices in six states. Ebbesmier retired in 1997, selling his share of the company.
Since Ebbesmier’s death, his son said he has received phone calls from people in the fire protection industry telling him, “Your dad was a legend” because of his knowledge of the business and willingness to help so many people.
Dick Ebbesmier and his wife, Ricky, loved water-skiing. They did show skiing in the Lake Manawa ski club. With a few other couples, they made pyramids and created other tricks while skiing in performances nationwide.
He skied competitively in tricks and slalom, winning several Iowa state championships in his mid-20s. The family at one time operated Ebbesmier Ski School on Lake Hamburg in Iowa.
Besides his son and wife of 55 years, Ebbesmier is survived by daughter April Baldwin of Omaha; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak-Cutler West Center Chapel, 7805 West Center Road.
Contact the writer:
444-1165, sue.truax@owh.com
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