Rex A. Wellman (1941-2018)

WELLMAN, WHITE, ROBERTSON

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 3/14/2021 at 17:29:00

Rex A. Wellman, 77, of Dubuque passed away Saturday, October 6, 2018 at home surrounded by his family.Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, October 11th at the Church of the Resurrection with Msgr. Russell Bleich officiating, Msgr. John McClean, homilist, and Msgr. Wayne Ressler concelebrating. Burial will be in Mount Calvary Cemetery. Military honors will be accorded by the American Legion Post #6. Friends may call from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 10th at Hoffmann Schneider and Kitchen Funeral Home and Cremation Service 3860 Asbury, Dubuque, with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m.Rex was born March 11, 1941 at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinic, Iowa City, son of Harold and Doris (White) Wellman. He was a Hawkeye from beginning to the end. He married his childhood enemy/sweetheart, love of his life, Linda Robertson, of Oskaloosa on September 28, 1962. He was raised in Oskaloosa, Iowa and joined the U.S. Navy in June 1958. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1958-1977. He and Linda were stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Norfolk, Virginia, and San Diego, California on four different ships and two shore stations. He was stationed in Dubuque, as a U.S. Navy recruiter from 1973-1977 when he retired from the Navy. He impacted hundreds of lives through his hard work and tireless devotion to the Navy and his recruits. He also enjoyed his retirement in Information Technology at the Telegraph Herald Newspaper from 1977-1979 and CyCare Systems, Inc. from 1979 where he retired as Senior Vice-President in 1995.Rex made five deployments to Vietnam and its coastal waters during his Navy service. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a Combat V in 1972 among other medals.While serving as the U.S. Navy Recruiter in Dubuque, he participated in the 1976 Bicentennial Reenactment of the voyage of Jean Marie Cardinal to warn settlements along the Mississippi of impending British attacks along 417 miles of the river during our Revolutionary War. This successful voyage resulted in our border extending to the Mississippi River.Rex served on the Dubuque Community School Board, Area One Education Agency, the DUPACO Community Credit Union Board and was inducted as Board Member Emeritus upon his retirement from the board at DUPACO. He also was an active volunteer in community projects and fundraising for Hospice of Dubuque and other Charity Golf Outings around the Dubuque Community. In recent years, golfing with his friends and old shipmates around the country became one of Rexs favorite activities. He and Linda traveled all around the United States, Canada and Mexico and a couple of rounds in Europe. Rex joined with many Dubuque Area friends in the Tri States Duffers Tour and the Dubuque Area Red Shirts golf groups.
His two grandchildren were his favorite pastime. Symone Glee and Jonah Andrew made many happy moments for him. He loved nothing more than to talk with them, watch their activities, and entertain them with his one of a kind sense of humor. To know Rex was to know that he was always good for a laugh, a joke, or an unbeatable one liner. He was a wonderful friend, husband, and dad. He will be greatly missed and forever in our hearts.
He is survived by his wife, Linda; son Harold Dean (Denise McCullough) of Dubuque; daughter, Sonya Jones of Goodyear, AZ; sister, Jean Livesy, of New Sharon, IA; brother, Ron (Betty) Wellman, of Pella, IA; sister-in-law, Sandra Ford; grandchildren, Symone Glee and Jonah Andrew, of Goodyear, AZ; along with several nieces and nephews.He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister Karen Courtney.Memorials may be made to Hospice of Dubuque.Online condolences may be left for the family at hskfh.com.
Published on October 8, 2018