GOSSARD, John T.

GOSSARD, ARNEY, MULLEN

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 6/5/2013 at 00:59:27

John T. Gossard, 51, of 1605 West 6th Avenue North, Clear Lake, died Thursday,
Dec. 5, 2002 at his home after a brief battle with cancer.

His funeral service was held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2002 at Ward Van
Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, with Pastor Judy Brutz and Chaplin Edward
Bard officiating. Interment followed at Clear Lake Cemetery. Memorials may be
directed to John Gossard Memorial Fund or to Opportunity Village.

John was born March 13, 1951 in Ames, Iowa, the son of Thomas L. and E. Pauline
³Polly² (Arney) Gossard. He graduated from Ames High School in 1969. While in
school, he won many track medals, including third place at the Drake Relays in
1969. John continued to participate in track at Ellsworth Community College in
Iowa Falls. He graduated with a Liberal Arts Degree and a Human Services
Certificate. In 1973, he began an internship at Handicap Village in Clear Lake.
John was united in marriage to Elizabeth Mullen on June 8, 1974 in Waterloo,
Iowa. He held several positions at Opportunity Village over the years including
Special Projects Director, Special Services Director, Transportation
Coordinator, Service Training Director, Resident Admission Coordinator, Mandt
Instructor and Medication Aide and Direct Care Staff. John also served on
several committees including, Intake, Quality Council Team Member and Total
Quality Management Facilitator. He was a team leader for the Communication
Action Team and Continuous Quality Improvement Team. In August 1999, he proudly
received the Tom Thornblade Award. John believed in being ³an integral part of
the Village¹s total quality journey to improve services to individuals with
disabilities.² John also worked for several years at Direction Research in
Mason City. He enjoyed golf, fishing, taking care of his lawn, and burning his
own CD¹s of all types of music.

John is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, of Clear Lake; his daughter, Jennifer
Gossard, a student at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls; a sister,
Margaret Story and husband, Jon, of West Lafayette, Ind.; his father-in-law,
Robert Mullen, of Waterloo; a brother-in-law, James Mullen and wife, Anna, of
Cadiz, Ky.; two sisters-in-law, Patricia Kerr and husband, John, of Cedar Rapids
and Mary ³Maggie² Majors and husband, James, of Houston, Texas; an aunt, Mary
Arney of Onawa, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; an uncle, Max Arney; an aunt, Patricia
Arney; and his mother-in-law, Georgia Mullen.