Richard Lynn “Dick” McCreedy
MCCREEDY, GODLOVE, YENTER, MAHAFFA, MILLER, BECKMAN
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 4/23/2018 at 08:53:38
Richard Lynn “Dick” McCreedy, 94, of Iowa City, died Saturday, March 31, 2018 at the Mercy Hospice Care Unit in Iowa City.
Visitation will be held Friday from 3:30-6:30 pm at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City. Funeral Services will begin Saturday at 10:00 am at the funeral home. Burial with military rites will be held at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.
Instead of flowers and plants, memorials may be directed to Iowa City Hospice, the University of Iowa Foundation or Mercy Hospice Care Unit.
Born July 4, 1923 in Iowa City, the son of Myral and Mabel (Godlove) McCreedy, Dick grew up in Iowa City. In addition to having a perfect Sunday school attendance record, he was a licensed pilot as a youth – flying his family’s Cessna. He graduated from Iowa City High School in 1941 and earned a civil engineering degree from the University of Iowa in 1948.
He enlisted and served in the US Army during WWII from 1943 to 1945. After basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, he served with the Army Corps of Engineers in India during the war and in Japan postwar.
After graduating, Dick worked as a civil engineer for Stanley Engineering in Muscatine, Iowa for 2 years and bought McCreedy Construction Company from his father in 1950. Prior to purchasing the business, he worked with his family on many Iowa City buildings, including the Iowa City Airport Terminal and the City Park pool. As owner of the business, he built over 50 houses in Iowa City and University Heights. McCreedy Construction Company always had a small, highly skilled work crew and Dick was very proud of them.
In addition to running the construction company, Dick was a partner in several local development companies – working with George Nagle Sr., Leland Nagle, M.D. McCreedy, George Nagle Jr., Jerry Hilgenberg, and Ed Thomas at various times to develop the Bel-air additions (breaking ground in 1953), the Rochester addition, the Melrose Park addition, the Lakewood addition, Village Green, Village Green South, the Mercer Park addition, Penny Bryn, and Ty’n Cae. As a civil engineer, he played a key role in designing and building these developments.
Dick met Mary Lou Yenter at Kinnick Stadium during the fall of 1953. They were married on May 22, 1954 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City. After retiring in the mid 1980s, Dick and Mary Lou spent the winter months at their condominium in Venice, Florida for over 30 years. Throughout his life, and especially during retirement, Dick enjoyed many hobbies – including restoring antique jeeps and collecting Packards, building a German Kübelwagen from a Volkswagen chassis, raising several horses, playing guitar, renovating a family farm and crafting highly detailed models of aircraft, historic ships and train layouts. He believed that everyone should pursue a hobby.
Dick was a lifelong problem solver and an uncommonly kind man. In business, he was widely respected as a man of honesty and integrity, and known for his calm and even temper. He was always a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was immensely proud of each of his children and grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife Mary Lou; daughters, Mary Lynn McCreedy Mahaffa (Greg) of Iowa City, Dr. Catherine Miller (Dr. Craig) of Pittsford, New York and Carol Beckman (Gary) of Iowa City; grandchildren, Elizabeth Mahaffa, Margaret Mahaffa, Dr. John Miller, Jeffrey Miller, Kevin Miller, Brian Miller and Lauren Miller; brother, William McCreedy of Iowa City and several nieces and nephews.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Charles “Chick” McCreedy.
The family would like to thank Dick’s physician, Dr. Rodney Zeitler, as well as Dr. Moshe Wald and the staff of the University of Iowa Urology Clinic for their care over the years. We are also deeply grateful to Iowa City Hospice staff and the staff of the Mercy Hospice Care unit for caring for Dick during his final days.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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