Roy Columbia Mahaffa, Jr.

MAHAFFA, PEDERSEN, GREGORY, GATES, MILLER, CHURCHILL, OCONNOR, MCKAY, YOUNG

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 1/7/2010 at 15:12:22

Roy Columbia Mahaffa, Jr. of Iowa City died after a brief illness on Wednesday, January 06, 2010, at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics surrounded by his loving family. A graveside service will be held at a later date in the I.O.O.F. cemetery at Moweaqua, Illinois.

Roy was born on October 5, 1926, in Des Moines to Roy Sr. and Mabel (Pedersen) Mahaffa. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1944 and immediately began two years of service in the Navy. While in the Navy, he sailed on two destroyer escorts in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1950 with a major in Mechanical Engineering. He was a sales engineer for several equipment manufacturers in Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Chicago and Rockford, Illinois. Roy married Barbara (Gregory) Mahaffa in 1957 and lived in Rockford, Illinois for 50 years prior to moving to Iowa City in 2007.

Roy was a member of Centennial United Methodist Church while in Rockford and St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Iowa City. He was a volunteer at Rockford Memorial Hospital for many years. He was an avid fan of his children's athletics teams and loved to travel. He was proud to have traveled to each of the 50 states and the Panama Canal.

Roy is survived by his wife, Barbara, son Gregory (Mary) of Iowa City, daughters Julie (Randy) Gates of Tucson, Arizona and Sarah (Kevin) Miller of Stanwood, Washington and grandchildren, Elizabeth and Maggie Mahaffa and Aida and Forrest Miller and numerous nieces and nephews.

Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Mabel Mahaffa and by his five sisters, Marjorie Churchill, Esther O'Connor, Betty Mahaffa, Laura Mae McKay and Corinne Young. A special thanks to Pastor Denny Coons and Parish Nurse Carol Tippe at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and our caring friends and relatives.

Memorials may be made to St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Centennial United Methodist Church, or Palliative Care Fund at The University of Iowa Foundation.