John Piro

JOHN DAVID PIRO

Iowa City

John David Piro, 64, loving son of Grace and H.W. "Whitey" Piro, died peacefully at his home in Iowa City on Monday, Feb. 5, 2018. A funeral service to celebrate John's life will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 23 at First Presbyterian Church of Iowa City. Visitation will be held at 9 a.m. followed by the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to NAMI Johnson County and the First Presbyterian Church.

John was born May 18, 1953, in Iowa City. He attended Longfellow, South East and City High, where he graduated in 1971. John excelled in sports, playing baseball, basketball and football for the Little Hawks. He was quarterback and captain of the 1970 MVC football championship team. John graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1975 with a B.A. in political science. He had earned a football scholarship and was a Panther letterman. John was active in student government and a resident assistant for two years.

After college, John worked for the Combined and Physicians Mutual Insurance companies. He then attended graduate school in the Sport Management Program at Ohio University (Athens). He lived in Phoenix, Ariz., for several years before returning home to Iowa City in 1995, where he worked for the Martin Diaz Law Firm for 20 years. John was a member of First Presbyterian Church.

John was beloved as a loyal friend, neighbor, work colleague and brother. He enjoyed following the Hawkeyes, Little Hawks, Panthers and Dan McCarney coached teams over the years. Watching a game with John's insight was a delight. An avid reader and excellent writer, he compiled an extensive series of book notes over the years. Keeping up on all, he was gracious in conversation.

John was cool and calm in the thick of it, brave against the odds. A man with a good soul, always generous with his time and interest in others.

His brothers thank him for the many years of companionship and care he provided our parents. They also would like to thank Dr. Nancy Williams and the IMPACT team at UIHC, John's family at Martin Diaz Law Firm, longtime neighbors on South Governor Street and Dr. M. Craig Champion.

John was preceded in death by his loving parents.

Survivors include three brothers, Steven (Karen) of McKinney, Texas, and Doug (Susanna) and Andy, both of Iowa City; niece, Allison and son Jackson; and nephew, Blake (Tiffany) and son Barrett.

Online condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.com.