Delbert Lee "Del" Spiegel

Delbert Lee “Del” Spiegel, 84, of Sioux City, passed away at home on Friday, October 17, surrounded by his family and the love he gave so freely.

Del was born on August 29, 1941, to Howard Lee and Vera Emily (McGranahan) Spiegel in Windom, MN. Growing up in the rural community of Ocheyedan, IA, Del enjoyed a Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn childhood with best friend & brother John, plus local friends. After his 1959 graduation from Ocheyedan High School, he began painting for his uncle Daryl for 90 cents an hour. Once John graduated, they headed to Kansas City running heavy equipment for road construction. With his KC earnings, Del went on to study geology for two years at the University of South Dakota.

Del began his career as a professional painter in 1965. He joined Meier Painting as a union painter before starting Del’s Decorating in 1974. In 1995, one of the proudest moments of his life’s work came when he formed Spiegel & Son Painting in Steamboat Springs, CO, working alongside his son until his retirement in 2010.

For Del, painting was never just about cutting a straight line or keeping a wet edge—it was about caring for the hearts and spirits of his clients.

Del’s life brought him to Sioux City from 1965 to 1993, followed by 28 years in Steamboat Springs, CO, before returning to Sioux City in 2021. Yet for Del, home was wherever his people were found, and the love and laughter of family and friends were always at the center of his life.

Del approached life with humor, heart, and a contagious enthusiasm for people and their stories. His smile lit up his whole face—and the spirits of those lucky enough to receive it. He was generous, patient, inquisitive, loyal, and deeply kind. Whether sharing a laugh, lending a hand, or cracking an inappropriate joke at an inappropriate time, Del had a way of making every space brighter.

A true treasure-hunter and lifelong tinkerer, he found joy in fixing, organizing, and creating (which meant driving his wife crazy with some of those collected treasures). He loved curating photos and memories of the people he cared about, or mingling with waitstaff and fellow diners as if they were old friends. Painting remained his craft and calling, but his real art was in connecting—with people, places, and moments.

Del took pride in the beauty he left behind, both in the homes he helped transform and in the hearts of those he touched. His accomplishments weren’t measured in titles or trophies, but in laughter shared, dreams fulfilled, and the deep love of his family and faith that anchored it all.

Del’s impact on others was beautifully expressed by a family friend who said Del “was everyone’s champion” and “made you feel like you were the most important person in the world.”

Del considered his family his greatest accomplishment. Meeting 14-year-old Sandra at an Easter Sunrise Service just months before his high school graduation marked the beginning of a 66-year love story. Del and Sandy’s marriage of 60 years was blessed with four children.

Del’s legacy lives on in the hearts of his surviving family—his wife, Sandy; his children, Debbie (Doug) Beauchene of Rochester, MN, Jenny (Jerry) Stabile of Raleigh, NC, Julie (Doug) Johnson of Hinton, IA and Ben (Sharon) Spiegel of Steamboat Springs, CO; eleven grandchildren, Jake (Molly) Beauchene, Andrew Beauchene, Shannon (David) Steeves, Alexis (Kory) Kistner, Megan (Johnny) Garmatz, Sammy Stabile, Taylor Johnson, Johnny Johnson, Ashley Spiegel, Alex Spiegel, and Logan Spiegel; and four great-grandchildren, with three more on the way. He is also survived by three sisters-in-law, two brothers-in-law, four nieces and nephews, and numerous others whom Del loved as family.

Del was preceded in death by his parents, as well as his siblings, Carole (Spiegel) Ackerman, John Spiegel, and Donna Spiegel.

Del lived fully, loved deeply, and left everyone a little happier than he found them. His laughter, kindness, and boundless curiosity will continue to ripple through the lives he touched. Though he is gone from our sight, the joy he brought to this world remains in the stories, smiles, and memories he leaves behind.