Terry G. Trueblood

TRUEBLOOD, FISCHER, MCDERMED, GLEE, GARVER, FULFORD

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 7/8/2009 at 11:55:37

Terry G. Trueblood, loving husband, father, and grandfather, Director of Iowa City’s Parks and Recreation was received by the Lord at 7:00 pm Friday, July 3, 2009 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Terry was born in Hygiene, CO on Aug. 29, 1947, the youngest of 6, to Loy and Lela Vivian Trueblood. He was raised in Lyons, CO, receiving his BA and MA degree from UNC at age 22. Terry married his high school sweetheart, Waunita, and they had two children, Terry and Tina.
He served the city of Dubuque, IA as Ass. Dir. of Rec. June 1970-April of 1975. Dir. of Rec. from April 1975-May 1982, Dir. of Parks and Rec. May 1982-Feburary 1986 when he became Iowa City’s Director of Parks and Recreation. Terry served on the NRPA Board of Trustees from 1997-2004 serving on 10 committees and as National Forum Chair in 1999-2000. He served as APRS President 1990-1991 when he initiated and established the APRS Strategic Planning Retreat in 1990 and chaired the first Brach summit in 1991. Terry was the President of the Academy of Parks and Recreation in 2001-2003. He served on the National Gold Medal Award judging committee from 2003-2007, as Chair and Chief Judge from 2006-2007, and was still actively serving on the IPRA Foundation board of Directors to help establish scholarships and funding for students in the state and to help young professionals. On April 13, 2009, the Iowa Park and Recreation Association unanimously renamed its highest professional award the “Slattery / Trueblood Professional Award”. His involvement in NRPA has been far more than any other Iowa person ever.
Terry’s greatest dedication was as a husband, father and grandfather. He loved to play golf and was his grandkid’s biggest fan in all their endeavors. He had an amazing sense of humor, it was rare to approach Terry without a joke and a smile to greet you. Terry was abundant in compassion and generosity. Terry was the definition of integrity; he was fair, honest, and committed and looked up to by his family and on many levels locally, statewide, and nationally. He benefited every life he touched.

Surviving him are his wife Waunita Trueblood, his son Terry Robert Trueblood, CO, his daughter Tina Trueblood Fischer, and his three grandchildren, Patrick, Elizabeth, and Joseph Fischer, IA; his siblings, Joy (Wayne) McDermed, AZ; Gay (Marian) Trueblood, OR, VondaGlee (Jack) OR, Karen (Glenn) Garver NE, and Merilee (Vick) Fulford CO.

Terry was preceded in death by his father Loy and his loving mother Lela Vivian Trueblood.