It is with heavy heart that the Professional Tool & Equipment News and Professional Distributor team must share that a good friend and industry great, Frederick Vernon Lisle, president of Lisle Corp., passed away after a battle with pneumonia on March 27, 2018. He was 57.
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. He will be missed by many.
Accomplishments
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 Corporation, which was founded in 1903.
Lisle first worked at the company in the assembly department during the summer while he was 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 Corporation.
Under his leadership Lisle Corporation 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 long time member.
Family
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.
Arrangements
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 31 at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Clarinda, IA. Visitation will take place on Friday, March 30 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ritchie Funeral Home in Clarinda, IA.
An obituary, tribute wall and other information can be found on their site www.ritchiefuneralhome.com. Memorials will be used to create the Fred Lisle Scholarship at Iowa Western Community College in Clarinda.
