GREENVILLE — Anselm (Anse) Joseph Dees, 88, passed away Sept. 9, 2009, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Jackson. Visitation was from 12:30 until 2:30 Sept. 11 at First Presbyterian Church in Greenville with funeral services commencing at 2:30 p.m. at the church. Burial followed at Greenville City Cemetery.

Mr. Dees was born Sept. 30, 1920, in Philadelphia, Miss., to Willie and Paul Dees. He grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Philadelphia High School. He attended the University of Mississippi and Cumberland University School of Law in Lebanon, Tenn., and was admitted to the Mississippi State Bar Association as an attorney in 1941.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a flight instructor and supervisor of instructors at Gunter Field in Alabama. He also served in the European Theatre of Operations as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot with the 405th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, Ninth Army Air Force in England, May 1944 to February 1945. He participated in the D-Day Invasion of Normandy and was wounded and shot down over Normandy behind German line about two weeks after D-Day and evaded German forces and “walked out.” His actions in evading capture have been used as a case study by the Air Force in survival training for its pilots. Thereafter, he returned to action and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944; the Air Medal with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, 1944-45; and the Purple Heart in 1944.

Dees also served as an instructor with the U.S. Air Force Reserve Ground School, as well as a staff officer with the State of Mississippi Air Force Reserve Unit. He retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 1978.

Mr. Dees was a longtime partner in the insurance firm Eustis, Dees and Outzen in Greenville. He continued to report to the office until 2008 after the firm became Mississippi Insurance Services and later SouthGroup.

He was a former president of the Greenville Kiwanis Club (1963), YMCA (1970) and Greenville Propeller Club (1972). He served as chairman of the Industrial Foundation of Washington County (1972), president of the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce (1967), chairman of the Highway 82 Improvement Committee (1963-65), chairman and member of Chamber and Delta Council transportation committees and vice president of the Delta Council. Dees was the legislative chairman of the AHEAD Highway Improvement Committee when the Legislature enacted the AHEAD program of 1,079 miles of four-lane highways in 1987.

Dees served as chairman and board member of the Region V Mental Health and Retardation Board for nine years. He was a past chairman of the Greenville Airport Commission. He was a former member of the board of directors of Business and Industry Political Education Committee and the Mississippi Economic Council. He was a member of the state A&I Board (1972-76) and a former member of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Highways.

He was a 68-year member of the Mississippi State Bar Association. He served as president of the Yazoo-Delta Insurance Agents Association (1965) and president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi (1972). Dees served on the Board of Directors of the Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi for 25 years and recently received the J.H. Johnson award from the Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi for lifetime achievements in the insurance industry.

Dees was a member and chairman of the Board of Directors, clerk of the session, president of the men of the church and Sunday school teacher at First Presbyterian Church in Greenville. In addition to his civic work, he was an enthusiastic supporter of Ole Miss Rebel football, attending games beginning in 1929 and continuing until last fall at the age of 88. He was an avid bream fisherman and doted on his two dogs, Fergie and Lileigh.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, George Dees of Florence; and his first wife, Nelle of Greenville.

He is survived by his wife, Jackie (Whitmire) of Greenville; his sons, A.J. “Buddy” Dees Jr. (Janet) of Vicksburg, Jim Dees of Taylor and Steve Dees (Norma Ann) of Huntsville, Ala.; a daughter, Daney Dees Cashatt (Jim) of Banner; a sister, Norma Laird of Jackson; three stepdaughters, Terri Henderson (Randolph) of Learned, Tamra King (Joe) of Bentonia and Tara Whitmire of Raymond; three grandchildren, Paul Dillard Dees (Marney) of Greenville, Molly Dees Finney (Vince) and Emily Ann Dees, both of Columbus, Ohio; one stepgrandson, Yancy Fisher (Cameron) of Tupelo; three stepgrandchildren, Casey Whitmire of Raymond and Taylor and Joanna King of Bentonia; two great-granddaughters, Morgan Amelia Dees and Madeline Dillard Dees of Greenville; and one stepgreat-granddaughter, Mckena Fisher of Tupelo.

Pallbearers were Paul Dillard Dees, Ricky Dees, Brad Mayo, Camp Murphy, Bo Murphy and Joshua Stubbs.

Honorary pallbearers were Chip Morgan, Dr. Mike Carter, Don Dees, Barry Jackson, Rob Laird, Dr. Bill Mayo, Rush Mayo, Bucky Murphy, Brad Sessums, Shelby Sessums, Hugh Stubbs, Sam Waggoner, Harper Young and Sam Young.

Donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Greenville or to French Camp Academy.