SINNOTT, John S. (1940-2020)

SINNOTT

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 1/28/2021 at 15:32:16

Dr. John S. Sinnott
(October 20, 1940 – December 9, 2020)

IDA GROVE – Celebration of Lifefor Dr. John S. Sinnott, 80, of Ida Grove will be at a later date. A private family vigil service was at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ida Grove. The Rev. Richard D. Ball officiated. Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home in Ida Grove was in charge of arrangements.
Dr. John Stephen Sinnott, son of Stephen B. and Ellen E. (Judge) Sinnott, was born on the kitchen table Oct. 20, 1940, at home, in Georgetown. As a child of the Great Depression, his life on the family farm was of meager means but rich in love. His humble roots and love of family defined him throughout his life. He attended St. Patrick’s School through the 11th grade and then graduated from Dowling High School in Des Moines in 1959. He continued his Catholic education in college by attending St. Ambrose University. After graduating from St. Ambrose, he furthered his education in the medical field at the University of Des Moines Medical School. He finished his internship in Denver and graduated from medical school in 1968. From the moment of their first date, his bride-to-be knew John was the one she would marry. On Aug. 28, 1965, John married his love, Lenee T. Showalter in Bettendorf. They were committed to fulfilling John’s dream of being called “Doc” by the small community he served. In 1969, they made Ida Grove home and started his medical practice. Over the course of his career, he treated thousands of patients and delivered four generations of families. The couple was blessed with two children: Annie and Daniel. Daniel is now a contracting officer with the U.S. Army. Annie followed in her father’s footsteps and is an ER physician. After retiring in 2008, he returned to his farming roots. John planted five acres of grapevines. Once the vines matured, he achieved his dream and opened the Old Town Vineyard and Winery in 2012. He often said the reason he loved the winery so much was because it was different from his career. He died Dec. 9, 2020, at Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove, after a quiet and courageous battle with Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Lenee Sinnott of Ida Grove; his daughter, Annie (Cindi) Sinnott of Las Vegas, Nevada, and their son, Eli; and his son, Daniel (Michelle) Sinnott of Davenport and their children, Jenna and Jackson. Additional survivors include a brother, Bill Sinnott of Des Moines; three sisters: Ann (Larry) Arnold of Norwalk, Ellen Sinnott of Des Moines and Rosemary (Jerry) Weiss of St. Louis, Mo.; nieces and nephews; extended family; and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Stephen and Ellen Sinnott; a sister, Kathleen Sinnott; a brother in infancy; and his parents-in-law, Ray and Lisa Showalter.
Sources: Ida County Courier, Ida Grove, Iowa, Tue, Dec 15, 2020 and Christensen-VanHouten Funeral Services, Ida Grove, Iowa at http://www.christensenvanhouten.com/