Evelyn Deggeller

H. Evelyn Deggeller, 93, led a very interesting, productive, exciting and fulfilling life. Born in Olmsted Falls, Ohio on August 30, 1930. Studying Magic after high school she became the foremost Lady Magician in the country and was featured in the trade magazine Geni. Her parents joined a local carnival where they sold French fries and salt-water taffy while Evelyn and her two sisters Carolyn and Barbara ran carnival games. In 1951 while playing a carnival in Fremont, Ohio she met the love of her life Irv Deggeller and was married in the fall of that year. Irv had a few kiddie rides in which they traveled with the same carnival company until her family and Irv’s family started Deggeller Amusement Company in 1957. After starting a carnival in Stuart in 1959 they decided to make Martin County their home. When they decided to sell the company in 1978 they had the largest traveling carnival in the country and the only carnival featured in the Wall Street Journal at that time. The company had a small plane as well so unbeknownst to everyone in the family Evelyn secretly got her pilot’s license to show she was willing to do whatever to make things work. Having kept a few rides and concessions they fulfilled one of her and Irv’s dream of taking their carnival to South America in 1979. After living in Martin County they decided to buy numerous properties in the area. One property was a 27 acre parcel in which in 1990 they turned into 76 Golf World a local family entertainment center she ran for 32 years. She was also co-owner of Coy & Deggeller Construction formed in 1969 along with IBSCO, Inc. in 1980, Stuart Confections with partner Todd Desgranges. She was inducted into the South Florida Hall of Fame in 2012, past President of the Ladies Auxiliary Showmen’s Assn. Miami, FL, Director of Ladies Auxiliary Showmen’s League of America Chicago, IL, member of the Rear Commodore Coconut Point Yacht Club, member of the Int’l Ind. Showmen’s Club Tampa, member of the Outdoor Amusement Business Assn. Soroptimist International of Stuart for 34 years and 3 years Past President. With all this she loved to travel and has traveled the world many times over.

Survivors include her faithful poodle companion Rascal, sister Barbara (Jim), nephew Steve Coy and Don Deggeller (Cathy) along with many other nieces and nephews along with many great-nieces and nephews and her business partner Todd Desgranges.

She was predeceased by her husband Irvin Deggeller of 54 years, sister Carolyn Coy (Bob), nephew Chris Coy along with other nieces and nephews.

A Visitation for Evelyn will be held Monday, May 20th at Aycock Young and Prill, 6801 SE Federal Highway, Stuart FL 34997 from 5-7PM. A Funeral will be held the following day Tuesday the 21st 11AM at First United Methodist Church, 1500 South Kanner Highway, Stuart, FL 34994 with her burial to follow at Fernhill Memorial Gardens. A Reception for Evelyn will be held following her burial at the family home starting at 3PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Evelyn’s name to the Soroptimist International of Stuart, P. O. Box 2250, Stuart, FL 34995.