Gerald J. "Mac" McGreevy (1921-2007)
MCGREEVY, DIEMER, MOHR, HOFF, STEELMAN, FOX, CORDES, SCHWEIZER, HUDSON, WARD
Posted By: Nevada Journal
Date: 8/24/2007 at 07:55:56
NEVADA JOURNAL, Nevada, Story County, Iowa, Thursday, August 23, 2007.
Gerald Joseph McGreevy, long time resident of Nevada, died August 16th after a long illness. Born on July 9, 1921 in Ackley, Iowa to Francis J. and Teresa M. Scallon McGreevy, Gerald was the ninth of fourteen children.
He graduated from Ackley High School in 1939. In 1943, after two years of college, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was a radio operator in the South Pacific and was awarded four battle stars before being honorably discharged in January, 1946. He graduated from Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls in 1947. He was united in marriage to Helen L. Diemer, with whom he had five children.
Mac, as he was known to family and friends, taught school and coached football, basketball, baseball, and softball. His first teaching position was at Ellsworth, Iowa. He taught and coached at Doon and Graettinger, before moving to Nevada in 1957, to assume the position of junior high school principal. In 1964, he obtained his Master's Degree in school administration from Iowa State University. He organized the first high school golf team for Nevada and coached golf for several years. He retired from teaching in May of 1983. After retiring, he spent many years teaching English at the Literary Center of Harlingen, Texas, where he and Helen spent their winter months.
Mac loved the game of golf, and was a former club champion at Indian Creek Country Club, where he was a member for over forty years. He will be remembered by his family and friends for his character and integrity. An avid story-teller, it was common for him to start a conversation with, "That reminds me of a story." He was also an avid writer, and published 146 of these short stories, which were based upon his life experiences.
He moved to Iowa City in 2004, to be near his daughter, Victoria. He died in St. Luke Home, in Spencer, where he had been living for the past six months.
Mac was a member of St. Patrick's parish in Nevada for 50 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, sisters Eleanor, Edith, Lucille, Ruth, and brothers Gilbert, Hubert, Robert, and Paul. Left to cherish his memory are his five children, Frank McGreevy, of Ames, Teresa (Chuck) Mohr, of Spencer, Helen (Rex) Hoff, of Casper, Wyoming, Victoria Steelman, of Iowa City, Patti (Mitch) Fox, of Shell Lake, Wisconsin, a special niece, Merry Cordes and her husband Vern of Nevada, grandchildren Brian, Mark and Mike Mohr, Gary Venema, Jessica de la Cruz, and Erik Steelman, four greatgrandchildren, his brother Wilfrid of Ventura, California, sisters Mary Schweizer, of Bothell, Washington, Rita McGreevy of Los Angeles, California, Clare Hudson of Loves Park. Illinois, and Elizabeth Ward of Seattle, Washington.
Visitation will be at St. Patrick's church in Nevada, Saturday September 1, from 9:30-10:30, with family present, followed by a memorial service. Committal will be at St. Patrick's cemetery in Nevada. Memorials may be directed to either St. Patrick's Church or the Literacy Center of Harlingen.
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