Lloyd Wright Maffitt 1916 - 2008

MAFFITT, WRIGHT, DICKSON, SINIFT, LOBODIAK, MINDELL

Posted By: deb (email)
Date: 2/26/2008 at 13:04:06

The Burlington Hawkeye, Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Lloyd Maffitt
Lloyd Wright Maffitt, 92, of Burlington, died Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, at his daughter's home in Iowa City.

Born Jan. 25, 1916, in Burlington, he was the son of Emerson Lloyd and Kathryn Wright Maffitt. He married Elinor Heath Dickson in 1956. She preceded him in death.

Mr. Maffitt was a reporter and columnist for the Burlington Hawk Eye for more than 50 years. He covered many stories and events, often noted in his column, "Smorgasbord." He worked at the Iowa Ammunitions Plant in Middletown before joining the Burlington Hawk Eye newspaper on Sept. 13, 1946. He graduated from Parsons College with a degree in English. He grew up in Oakville, where his parents owned and operated the E. L. Maffitt Drug Store.

He was a member of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Southeast Iowa Symphony Board. He was a founder of Grove Street Film Society and Nancy Neafie Park and an early member of the NAACP. He was active for decades in the Great Books Society, Lions Club, Burlington Civic Music Association, Southeast Iowa Mental Health Board, Art Guild, Players Workshop, Burlington Area Arts Council and the Burlington Chapter of United Nations.

Survivors include three daughters Suzanne Dickson Sinift, Sherry Lobodiak and Mary Debra Kelly Mindell; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents and one son.

The memorial service for Mr. Maffitt will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Unitarian Meeting house in Burlington. A reception will follow from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Burlington Public Library. Burial will be Thursday in Mount Cavalry Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.

Memorials have been established for Nancy Neafie Park, Arts for Living Center and Burlington Public Library.