Thomas Neenan Sr.

THOMAS NEENAN SR.

Center Point

Thomas "Tom" Francis Neenan Sr., 92, of Center Point, died Sept. 8, 2015. Family and friends will gather to remember Tom from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at Knights of Columbus Hall, 808 Main St., Center Point. A celebration Mass will be 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Walker.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, two sisters, and his much-loved wife of 54 years, Eileen, who died July 23, 2005.

Surviving are five children, Nancy Michaels of St. Paul, Minn., Tom (Diana) Neenan of Center Point, Pamela (Kenneth) Rosmann of Freeport, Ill., Kate (Marc) Waitek of Osage and Molly Neenan (Gary Jorgenson) of Center Point.

Tom was born April 3, 1923, in Kansas City, Mo. Tom's father, Emmet Neenan, held managerial positions with National Biscuit Co. (Nabisco), setting up residence in St. Joseph, Memphis, Omaha, Dubuque and St. Louis before retiring in Cedar Rapids, where Tom finished high school at Immaculate Conception High in 1941. Tom received a degree in political science from the University of Iowa in 1948. Later, in 1978, he received a master's degree in public administration from Iowa State University. While attending the University of Iowa, he was very active in student affairs, serving on the union board, student council, elected president of the Quadrangle Council, a 1,200-person residential dormitory, president of Alpha Phi Omega Service fraternity, and was elected president of his 1948 graduating class.

According to a newspaper clipping, while serving on the student council, Tom noticed that the university, at the time of its 100th anniversary, had no official jewelry. He designed and promoted a university ring which the council approved, turning sales over to a newly formed Alumni Association.

He married Eileen Margaret Vala at St. Matthew Church in Cedar Rapids on Aug. 4, 1951. The ceremony was performed by his brother, Bob, a Jesuit priest. Eileen died July 23, 2005. In 2009, Tom married his high school sweetheart, Rita Spaight Pappenfus, a widow with three grown children. Rita died June 11, 2014.

Following his graduation from the University of Iowa, Tom was employed by a Chicago law firm. In 1950, he returned to Cedar Rapids, where he was employed as sales manager for a local manufacturing firm. He and his wife started the Tywal Co. in Center Point in 1954. For many years, Tom also was an independent sales representative for Capp Homes.

Tom entered the political arena, serving four two-year terms as mayor of Center Point in 1958, 1966, 1968, and in 2000. In his first term he saw his dream of a city library become reality, orchestrated paving of streets, a citywide sewer system and development of a city park. In between terms as mayor, Tom served the city of Center Point as chair of the city's planning commission for a total of 30 years.

Tom was active on several county boards, including Bluestem Landfill board, and was a member of the Linn County Judicial Selection Commission. Tom served as an early officer of the Linn County Friendship Force, traveling with his wife to Germany and to the former Soviet Union. He also served in Des Moines for three years as vice chair of the American Association of Retired Persons Legislative Committee, intended to help initiate and promote statewide favorable adult legislation.

Tom served 10 years on the Linn County Conser-vation board from 1970 through 1980, eight of those years as chair of the board. During this time, he was most active in creating the 57-mile Cedar Valley Nature Trail between Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. Tom is frequently cited as the person who shepherded this project from initiation to completion and is credited with bringing the Delaware to California American Discovery Trail across Iowa.

In 1984, Tom was instrumental in forming the Iowa Trails Council, serving as executive director, and later as chief executive officer of this non-profit organization. During this time, Tom participated in establishing more than 1,150 miles of trails on former railroad right-of-way. Tom served on national trails advocacy boards, including the American Hiking Society, National Trails Association, Rails to Trails Conservancy, American Trails and the American Discovery Trail Society. Tom promoted trails, both statewide and nationally, coordinating the Iowa segment of the nationwide American Discovery Trail. For his work on establishing trails, Tom received many awards, including the highly respected Lifetime Service Award from American Trails at the National Trails Symposium in Tucson, Ariz., in 1998.

Tom served as scoutmaster of Boy Scouts of America Troop 1, then Troop 100, both in Cedar Rapids, and later Troup 53 in Center Point. He was scoutmaster of Hawkeye Area Troops, participating in the New York World's Fair and the National Jamboree in 1964. The Catholic Church awarded him the St. George Scouting Medal in 1971. He later served on the Hawkeye board of directors. For his work with Boy Scouts of America, Tom was awarded the Scouter Award, Scouters Key and the very high and significant Silver Beaver Award. In 2007, Tom was given a diamond-studded gold pin for 75 years of service to scouting.

In recognition of his many volunteer services, Tom was inducted into the Volunteer Hall of Fame by Gov. Branstad in 1995. In 2006, Tom was honored as one of Nine Who Care volunteers, receiving the Jefferson Public Service award and a $500 gift for the Iowa Trails Council.

Tom was active in his church, serving for a time over the years as a trustee of Sacred Heart Parish in Walker. He was a fourth degree member of Knights of Columbus and served as founder and officer of John Paul II Council 12131. He was a founding member of Center Point Lions Club and the organizing leader of Center Point Area Realization Endowments.

Tom's deep faith was exemplified by the donation of his body to the University of Iowa for scientific study intended to benefit mankind. Tom lived by the motto, "To give of oneself so that others may live in health and happiness is a truly noble gesture." He loved the story about the woman who wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand because so many times she had been told to "keep your fork for dessert." She, like Tom, knew the best is yet to come.

Please share your support and memories with Tom's family on his tribute wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries.