10/03/2024
Hey Everyone,
As some of you may already know, Dubuque has lost an impactful 40+ year member of the Soccer community this week, Jeff Ransom. Jeff has been battling with Stage 4 Lung Cancer since September 2023, and passed away peacefully at home Tuesday evening.
For those of you who didn't know Jeff, he was an integral part of Dubuque AYSO Region 419, and has held some form of leadership within the Organization as long as any of us can remember. He has served as a referee, coach, various board positions, Regional Commissioner, Area Director, Section Director, and even served on the National Board of Directors. He also was the Soccer Commissioner for the Winter Iowa Games since or nearly since Day 1, around 30 years ago. He had a way about him, and was a hard guy to forget! If you were ever confronted by him, you either did something wrong or he was keeping an eye on you! Although he frequently displayed a hard shell, he was always reasonable and made decisions that kept the peace and make sure kids were on the soccer field.
Most recently, he was the Co-Founder of the Iowa Sports Expo Group, which was the Organization that purchased, created, and operates Offside Sports Complex. Once first acquired in April 2023, Jeff spent numerous hours every single day at the former driving range to make sure fields were there for AYSO families, and that the facility was open for business. Whether he was mowing grass, picking up garbage, managing the bar/clubhouse, cooking in the kitchen, or working the parking lot, he made a point to make the facility the best it could be with the resources we had. Unfortunately we were repeatedly dealt unnecessary and generated obstacles that made daily operations a challenge and added a lot of stress to his life. Upon his cancer diagnosis, he was unable to be down there as often. He still made a point to be on the phone on a daily basis, or physically come on-site if he even felt slightly OK. Even when he started to lose mobility, he'd still insist on being helped onto a golf cart so he could help with parking. Even with all of the accumulating road blocks, it didn't change the end goal. We prevailed and did what many skeptics said could not be done. Somehow we managed to push through, against all odds, and get kids on the field. Soon we hope the public will fully understand the reasoning for these efforts, and better recognize his efforts in needing it to succeed.
Four days before his passing, Jeff shared with me multiple things he wishes to be done to secure his legacy. All of these lead to the continued success of Dubuque AYSO Region 419 and Offside Sports Complex. There are plans to improve the facility and increase its usability, all which will take time, money, and motivated individuals to make it happen. With the help of others, myself and the Ransom family will make sure to protect his legacy and the continued growth and development of AYSO and Offside Sports Complex. Soccer was his life, the people of Soccer were his friends, and his role in the Soccer Community shall never go unrecognized.
Dekker Pfab
President and Co-Founder
