Date of Birth:
Thursday, September 10, 1936
Date of Death:
Monday, January 2, 2023
Age:
86 years old

Lauren William Dison

Lauren William Dison, 86, died Monday, January 2, 2023, at home in the presence of those who loved him. Born September 10, 1936, in Rochester, MN, he was the son of the late Harold and Emma Dison.

His education included Rochester Public Schools, Rochester Junior College, and two trade schools, The American Institute of Laundering and the National Dry Cleaning Institute. He honorably served our country in the United States Army Reserve.

In 1965, Mr. Dison and his brother Richard purchased the family business, Dison’s Cleaners, from their parents. They grew the cleaners into the state’s largest privately-owned textile maintenance company, providing linen rental and uniform service to hospitality, restaurant, and hospital industries. In addition to providing dry cleaning and laundry services, they owned retail formalwear and bridal shops that served a five-state area.

Mr. Dison enjoyed a local and national reputation for his contributions to safety and environmental quality in the cleaning industry. His programs for recycling hangers and reducing dry cleaning solvent became models for the national industry–he shared his knowledge at seminars throughout the country. Locally, he was a member of the Rochester Chamber Hazardous Waste Task Force, the Minnesota Environmental Initiative, and the Olmsted County Hazardous Waste Advisory Board. He received the Olmsted County Environmental Commission Award for his contributions to environmental quality.

He was actively involved in the Rochester community as a member of the Rochester Exchange Club, as a president of Rochester Toastmasters, and through work with the Rochester Youth Employment Projects. He rang the bell for the Salvation Army at Christmastime for years. Until the end, Mr. Dison was a faithful member of the Rochester Quarterback Club and Rochester Golf and Country Club.

He and his wife Sharon enjoyed spending half the year in Palm Springs, California. He loved to travel or just sit in the sun and take in whatever event came along. Seeing family and old classmates was especially enjoyable to him.

He was an avid fan of Minnesota sports and rooted enthusiastically for the Gophers, the Twins, and the Vikings. He enjoyed fishing and had a passion for golf. Mr. Dison loved a good Ole and Lena joke. His life was marked by his positive, optimistic spirit…; for him, the glass was always half-full.

Survivors include his beloved wife Sharon (Allen) Dison; daughters with his first wife Charlene Casebolt, Laura (Chris) Rodde of Seattle, WA, and Kara (Brian) Mensink of Rosemount, MN; grandchildren, Eleanor and Thomas Rodde and Grace, Luke, and Maxwell Mensink; brothers, Harold and Richard Dison of Rochester; sister, Mary Duncan of Arlington Heights, IL; niece, Diane Dison of Eagan, MN; nephews, Mark, Charlie, Tom and Gregory Dison of Rochester, MN, John Duncan of Arlington Heights, IL, and Matthew Duncan of Palatine, IL.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2023 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home, 1105 12th St SE, Rochester, MN 55904. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at 10 a.m.

Memorials are preferred to the Salvation Army, the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center—Research, or Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester.