John “Jack” Thomas Nothnagle
NOTHNAGLE, REESE, WHITE, GRANZOW, LINDEEN, STRAYER, LANGE, JAHANGIR, NEJAD
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 10/15/2019 at 12:36:32
Our beloved Father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather, John “Jack” Thomas Nothnagle died quietly of natural causes on October 8 at the age of 93. How do we describe, in a few words, a man who we all thought perfect? He was kind, patient, generous of spirit, honest and truthful, curious and thoughtful with a nimble, inquiring mind. He never complained or was angry, looked backwards or worried about the future, instead enjoying each day as it came. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of Western culture and world history, could converse in multiple languages including Latin, loved classical music and always, no matter what, retained his good humor. He was one of the Greatest Generation, a veteran of World War II, who served his country, family, colleagues and community with honor and integrity. He set the example we will try to emulate.
Called Jack by his family and friends to distinguish him from his father, he was the first of eight children born to John Thomas and Miriam Nothnagle in Rochester, NY. He was a wonderful big brother for his younger siblings, preparing him well for fatherhood.
Jack excelled in school, graduating from Aquinas Institute in 1943 at age 17 with a full scholarship to Assumption College in Windsor, Ontario. He was drafted at 18 and after basic training was shipped to the Alsace-Lorraine region of France in December, 1944, serving in the 570th Signal Company of the 70th Division, U.S. Army. Many years later he discovered the 70th Infantry Division Association and thoroughly enjoyed regional and national meetings as an active volunteer and officer. He participated in many reunion tours to the towns he helped to liberate during the war, and each time was richly honored by their citizens.
After the war he returned home to major in French at the University of Rochester. Following graduation he returned to France to teach English for a year in Toulouse as part of a State Department program. While there he met Gail, another teacher in the program, and they became great friends. A couple of years later both ended up at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where Jack pursued his MA and PhD, and Gail an MA, in French. This time, sparks flew and they were married on July 1, 1954.
After a long European honeymoon they moved west for Jack’s first teaching position as professor of Romance languages at the University of Montana in Missoula. Eleven months later, twins Margaret and Peter were born and 18 months after that, along came Tom. With three little ones in diapers, the family headed to Mount Vernon, IA where Jack taught French at Cornell College. In 1959 he accepted a teaching position at The University of Iowa, teaching French language, literature and civilization for the next 35 years, many as chair of the Department of French and Italian. He fondly remembered these as the “golden years” in academia. Alan, their youngest son, was born in 1962.
Always happiest when traveling and never missing an opportunity to do so, Jack and Gail made sure to expose their children to the world, taking them on trips during school breaks and living in France twice with the kids in French schools. A 13-month stay in Poitiers included their standard poodle and because John did not want Max in a kennel on the plane, the family made the trip by ship. That was an awesome experience, and it should be known that Jack never met a dog or baby who didn’t adore him. Jack and Gail found Iowa City a very convenient launching point for hundreds of trips across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa, the South Pacific and wherever French was spoken (French was always a bonus, but never a requirement). Jack also developed a passion for bicycling in the mid-1970’s, his preferred method for commuting for more than 40 years, and touring with friends and Peter domestically and abroad.
In retirement Jack and Gail also became the after school program for Margaret and Tom’s children, and delighted in Alan’s (another set of twins!) when they visited from, or in, Berlin. His grandchildren and later great grandchildren were an ongoing source of joy, and he was astonished that so many “good looking…and smart!” children were the result of his great love affair with Gail.
He cared for her until her death in March, 2014 with exquisite tenderness and patience, qualities that he extended to all his family, colleagues, friends and acquaintances. He was a man beloved by his family, respected by his friends and admired by all. We miss him terribly and pledge to do our very best to honor his memory and the lifetime of lessons--to be kind, generous, curious and honorable--he taught us by modeling them himself.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Gail, his brothers Father Joseph (Joe) and Raymond, sister-in-law Geri, nephews David and Joe Nothnagle, and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
He is survived by: daughter Margaret (Dennis) Reese of Iowa City and children Rachel (Taylor) White and Kate (Matt) Granzow of Urbandale, IA, and Victoria Lindeen of Waukee, IA; sons Peter (Hilary Strayer) and Tom (Laura) of Iowa City and his son Abram of McKinney, TX; and son Alan (Silvia Lange) and his children Johanna (Jahangir) Kohestani Nejad and Adrian Nothnagle of Berlin, Germany. He is also survived by eight great grandchildren: Sydney, Macy and Truett White; Emerson and Jack Granzow; Henry and Violet Lindeen; Liam Kohestani Nejad; his siblings Sister Anne Nothnagle, SSJ, Paul, Philip (Margaret) and Rita Nothnagle of Rochester, NY, and Mark Nothnagle of St. Cloud, FL; sister-in-law Glenda Nothnagle of Rochester, NY; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A brief ceremony of music and remembrance will be at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 28 at Terry Trueblood Recreation Center in Iowa City followed by a reception and opportunity to mingle with the family. Burial with military honors will be at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29 at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel/Van Meter, Iowa, located along Interstate 80, west of Des Moines.
In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests memorials to the 70th Infantry Division Association Scholarship Fund, Iowa Public Radio or the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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