RVDA told its members Tuesday morning that PleasureLand RV Centers owner Dan Pearson has died.
Pearson, a 2018 RV Hall of Fame inductee, was RVDA chairman from 1993-94 and served as the Go RVing Coalition co-chairman for more than a decade.
RVDA President Phil Ingrassia said: “Dan was a pillar of both the RV industry and RVDA. He was active in every facet of our association’s work over the past four decades. Dan was a passionate advocate for dealers and at the state and federal level, supported continuing education for dealership employees, and a champion of market expansion efforts that helped lead the industry to unprecedented growth.”
PleasureLand, based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, opened in 1971 as part of the Plaza Buick dealership owned by Pearson’s father, Vern. Pearson began working at the dealership at age 11 and took over the company in 1982.
RVIA President and CEO Craig Kirby said the association’s members mourned Pearson’s loss.
“Dan was a passionate supporter of the RV industry, with a long-established reputation as one the best in the business,” Kirby said. “Dan spent over 10 years as co-chair of the Go RVing Coalition, taking a leadership role in shaping the RV industry’s consumer outreach efforts. He was a champion for our industry’s continuous growth, and our thoughts go out to his family and friends—he will truly be missed by so many.”
Pearson served as the vice chairman of the Mike Molino RV Learning Center and as an RVDA board of delegates member. His PleasureLand dealership group is among the largest in the Upper Midwest, with stores in Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
A celebration of life will be held Friday at Calvary Community Church in St. Cloud at 11 a.m. Central time.
Rev. Doug Kern will officiate, and burial will be at Assumption Cemetery in St. Cloud. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Thursday at the Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in St. Cloud.
