James “Jim” Allen Mottet
MOTTET, MCENANY, NEUHAUS, STRANG, MCTIGUE, TIERNEY, MCDONALD, EVERETT, VIGRASS, PUCCIO, LITTLE, HAAS, JOHNSON
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 5/9/2023 at 12:32:23
James “Jim” Allen Mottet (78) of Iowa City, IA (formerly of Dyersville, IA) passed away on April 26, 2023 after a courageous battle with dementia.
Jim was born on April 27, 1944 to Omer and Mabel (McEnany) Mottet in Cedar Rapids, IA. After graduating from Regis High School in 1962, he went on to study History at Loras College. He later earned a Masters in Guidance Counseling also from Loras College. Jim married Jean Therese Tierney on August 10, 1968 at St. Columbkille’s Church in Dubuque.
Jim (or Mr. Mo as he was known at school) taught Social Studies at St. Matthew and St. Anthony from 1966 to 1970. He then went on to be a guidance counselor at Western Dubuque from 1970 to 2005, first in the Jr. High and later in Elementary. He was a Western Dubuque teacher of the year, was awarded a regional Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching, and was named an honorary chapter farmer from Future Farmers of America. Many of his former students and colleagues have reached out to share how much he helped them through tough times or influenced them in their lives. He was known for wearing colorful fun ties to work. He always had a pocket full of change for kids who had lost a tooth or needed money on doughnut day. He also loved to give out “warm fuzzy” notes to kids who needed a pick me up. He loved his work and touched countless lives.
He was an active volunteer in Dyersville and Iowa City including being on the boards for the Dyersville Food Pantry and the Dyersville Historical Society. He also coordinated coat drives and food drives at Western Dubuque Schools. He was a member of the Lions Club, Kiwanis Club and the Big Brother and Big Sister School Program. Ironically, shortly after moving to Iowa City Jim started volunteering at Bickford Assisted living where he would later be a resident.
Jim loved to golf, and for a number of years he played the Tuesday night Mens League at Meschers in Dyersville. He enjoyed poker, dancing in the living room with Jean, his daughters and later his granddaughters, listening to music, and playing basketball in the driveway or the Xavier gym. Jim was always involved with household projects with countless trips to Ace Hardware. You could often see him riding around town with his good friend Phil on their mopeds. Jim never met a person he couldn’t start a conversation with, including random strangers. He was constantly lifting people up with compliments, whether he knew them or not. To know Jim was to love him.
He loved spending time with his 15 grandchildren and had a special nickname for each of them. They have fond memories of helping water “the money tree”, playing catch, sharing ice cream treats, or the duck noises he would make to get the babies to laugh. He was incredibly proud of his family and celebrated every one of their accomplishments.
He is preceded in death by his parents Omer and Mabel (McEnany) Mottet, twin brother Joseph David, infant son David Joseph, and sisters Carol (Mottet) Neuhaus and Didge (Mottet) Strang Neuhaus, his nephew Steve Strang and in-laws Maurice and Helen (McTigue) Tierney, Martha (Tierney) McDonald and Dale Everett. Jim is survived by his wife Jean, five children, Sarah (Mottet) & John Vigrass of Riverside, CA, Pete (Jamie) Mottet of Oswego, IL, Amy (Mottet) & Chuck Puccio of Iowa City, Martha (Mottet) & Steve Little of Chicago, IL and David (Billi) Mottet of Oswego, IL, fifteen grandchildren; Evan, Lauren, Audrey and Ava Vigrass, Keegan, Zack and Elise Mottet, Emma, Maggie and Addison Puccio, Nathan and Josephine Little, Noah, Cecelia and Estelle Mottet. In laws Midge (Tierney) Everett, Kate (Tierney) & Jim Haas, Jim Tierney, Mary (Tierney) & Cary Johnson, John & Joyce Tierney, Pat McDonald and Trish (Tierney) & Jeff Dietz. Numerous loving nieces, nephews and friends.
In his final year, Superior Care Home Services, Bickford Assisted Living and Genetiva Hospice helped provide care for Jim. We will forever be grateful for all the love and support Jim and our entire family received from the incredible staff. Thank you also to the family and friends who have been there for us during difficult times.
As a lifelong educator, Jim made the decision to donate his body to the University of Iowa Medical School so others could continue to learn. At a later date there will be a private Catholic funeral limited to the immediate family.
Jim loved a good time, so to honor him we would like to invite all to join us and share stories, memories and definitely a few laughs. A celebration of life is planned at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Iowa City on June 3rd. You are welcome to attend 4:30 PM mass with the congregation and a reception at the parish social hall immediately following until 8:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Gentiva Hospice, Bickford Cottage, St. Patrick Catholic Church or the Alzheimer’s Association.
Cecelia, one of Jim’s many talented grandkids, captured Jim’s essence and the dementia journey beautifully in a poem:
“My Pара”
When I think about my papa I think of his bright smile and his beaming blue eyes
I think about his calm soul comparable to a soft sunrise
I think of his warm heart and his willingness to understand and forgive
I think about his passion and love for the life that he lived
I think of his great big hugs and his humbling laugh
I think not of his present self but of his past
For my papa is no longer with us although I see him so near
Dementia took him little by little and now the end is here
When I think of my papa I smile remembering the bonds he created and the hearts he healed
When I think of my papa I think of the brilliant man he was and the love he revealed
Dementia can force my papa’s memories out the door and hide away the key
But dementia can never take my memories of him away from me.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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