William John O'Harra 1912-2005

DVORAK, OHARRA, SCHUBERT

Posted By: Lori (email)
Date: 2/2/2005 at 15:51:39

Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service
Iowa City – 319-338-1132

Iowa City Press Citizen –paid & photo
Cedar Rapids Gazette –paid & photo

Iowa City Dateline:

William J. “Bill” O’Harra. age 92 of 921 E. Jefferson Street, Iowa City, died Wednesday, February 2, 2005 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, February 5, 2005, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with the Reverend Canon Peter O. Sanderson from Trinity Episcopal Church officiating. Burial with Military Honors will be at the Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be from 4 to 7pm Friday at the funeral home. Memorial donations can be made in Bill’s memory to Iowa City Hospice. Online condolences may be sent for his family through our website @www.gayandciha.com.

Bill was born May 27, 1912 in Iowa City the son of George and Mary (Dvorak) O’Harra. Following his graduation from Iowa City City High School in 1932 he worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps to build Lake McBride near Solon. During World War II Bill served his country in the United States Army. On August 8, 1947, Bill married Sofie Schubert in Vienna, Austria. With the exception of a couple years after the war, Iowa City has been Bill’s home all of his life. For nearly twenty years, he worked as deputy county auditor for Johnson County, retiring over twenty-five years ago. He has been a longtime member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Iowa City. After nearly fifty years of a loving marriage, Bill’s wife, Sofie died May 31, 1996.

His family includes four grandchildren, Diane Palmer and her husband, George of Cedar Rapids, Frederick William John O’Harra and his wife, Cynthia of Apple Valley, MN, Therese Susanne Michaels and her partner, Steve Lewis of Mt. Shasta, CA, and David Scott O’Harra and his wife, Lynn of Melbourne, FL; four great-grandchildren, Sean and Chris Palmer and Josh and Jake Michaels; three great-great-grandchildren, Nick, Logan and Keagan Palmer; sister-in-law, Margaret O’Harra of Iowa City.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, Ferdinand Otto and Gloria O’Harra; sisters, Myrtle Stephen, Lillian Conway, and Mildred O’Harra; and brothers, George and Irving “Buster” O’Harra.

Gay & Ciha is caring for Bill’s family and his services.