Darr, John R. 1936-2014

DARR, WRIGHT, FITZMAURICE, MANGLER, COSGROVE, ARENDS, CLAUSEN

Posted By: Ruth Maring - Volunteer
Date: 7/29/2014 at 11:16:46

John R. “Jack” Darr, 78, of Camanche, Iowa, passed away, Saturday, May 24, 2014 after a four month battle with cancer.
Memorial services will be held 11:00 AM Thursday, May 29, 2014 at the Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Home & Crematory. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 PM, Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at the funeral home. Honorary pallbearers will be Robert Holleran, Lee Bossen, Tom Havens, Tom Hesselmann, Mike May and Mike Kopp.
Online condolences may be expressed by visiting www.snellzornig.com.
Jack was born March 29, 1936 in Moberly, MO, the son of John V. and Charlie (Wright) Darr. He spent his youth in Ottumwa, IA and graduated from Ottumwa High School. He graduated in 1958 from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, IA, where he was a member and president of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
He married Lynne FitzMaurice on March 1, 1958 in Mt. Pleasant, IA.
Following graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard. After his release from active duty, he joined General Adjustment Bureau (GAB) in Waterloo, IA as an insurance adjuster. A year later he was sent to the Davenport, IA office. In 1961 he was recalled to active duty with the National Guard, serving in Ft. Riley, KS for 11 months.
Following his discharge from active duty he was re-assigned with General Adjustment Bureau in Davenport. In 1964 he was transferred to the Clinton, Iowa office as branch manager. Three years later he was transferred to the Cedar Rapids, IA office as branch manager.
In 1969 he resigned from GAB and returned to Clinton as a partner in the Neubauer-Darr Insurance agency. Over the years, he acquired a number of smaller agencies and changed the name to The Insurance Group. Following his retirement, he sold the agency to his partner and son-in-law, Mark Mangler.
Jack was extremely active in the community. He served on the Board of Directors of Clinton National Bank, Jane Lamb Hospital, Riverboat Days and was president of Clinton Area Development Company. He served as chairman of the Clinton Park Board, was past president of Operation Pride in Clinton and the Clinton Gyro Club. He also had been a member of Rotary, Clinton Jaycees, Clinton Kiwanis and the Clinton Country Club.
Jack’s greatest interests included landscaping, motorcycling, snowmobiling and spending time with his family and friends at their home on the river in Camanche and at their summer home on Lake Wisconsin, near Lodi, Wisconsin.
Survivors include his wife, Lynne; two daughter, LaRee (Mark) Mangler of Clinton, IA and Merrill (Ray) Cosgrove of Princeton, IA; four grandchildren, Drew (Madyalynn) Mangler, Jessica Arends, Lauren Clausen and Kevin Clausen and great grandson, Hayden Arends.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents, a granddaughter and a brother-in-law.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Clinton Humane Society.