STAACK, Thomas Leslie 1946-2012
STAACK, TORGLER, GIERTZ, MINOR, PARRISH, EICK, NATVIG, ELIAS
Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 7/26/2012 at 17:06:29
[Waterloo Courier, Wednesday, March 21, 2012]
Thomas Leslie Staack, 65, of Waterloo, died Monday, March 19, at Cedar Valley Hospice Home after a short battle with an aggressive pancreatic cancer.
He was born April 5, 1946, in Waterloo, son of Leslie E. and Gertrude L. Torgler Staack. He married Deborah A. Giertz on June 12, 1971, in Waterloo.
Thomas graduated from Waterloo West High School in 1964, received his B.A. degree in political science from the University of Iowa in 1968 and received his J.D. degree from the University of Iowa Law School in 1971.
He was a senior partner at Dutton, Braun, Staack & Hellman, PLC, in Waterloo, where he practiced law for 40 years.
He was chairman of the Immanuel Lutheran Church Congregation and served on several church committees. He was chairman of the Waterloo Recreation Commission and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center. He was president of the Sunnyside Country Club Board of Governors and served on various community boards, committees and task forces. He was currently the president of the Iowa Association for Justice (formerly the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association). He was president of the Iowa Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He was in the Waterloo West High School Hall of Fame, Waterloo Optimist Softball Hall of Fame and a Multiple Letter-Winner at Waterloo West High School and the University of Iowa. He was drafted as a pitcher by the Minnesota Twins franchise in 1966 and was an Optimist Major League softball coach for eight seasons.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Jennifer (Kevin) Minor of Rabat, Morocco, Alison (Nathaniel) Parrish of Waterloo and Stephanie Staack of Chicago; five grandchildren, Caitlin, Ireland and Felicity Frisch of Waterloo and Hannah and Hope Minor of Rabat; a sister, Kathleen (James) Eick of Iowa City; his in-laws, father and mother-in-law, Robert and Vera Giertz of Davenport; Nancy (Scott) Natvig of Muscatine, Norman (Debra) Giertz of Sheboygan Falls, Wis., James (Tamarra) Giertz of Eden Prairie, Minn., and Julie (Mark) Elias of Rapid City, S.D.; and many nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death by his parents.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, with burial in Waterloo Memorial Park Cemetery. Public visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service on West Ridgeway, and for an hour before services at the church on Friday.
Tom was a man of faith who shared a loving bond with his family and valued his relationships with friends, colleagues and clients. He was a sports and travel enthusiast who lived life to the fullest and had a knack for entertaining people with his quick wit and storytelling. He was blessed to be married to his best friend and soulmate for more than 40 years.
Memorials may be directed to Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Black Hawk Obituaries maintained by Karen De Groote.
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