116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Thomas Soppe
THOMAS SOPPE
Anamosa
Thomas Henry Soppe, 71, of rural Anamosa, died Monday, May 2, 2016, at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids.
He was born Aug. 17, 1944, the second son of Clarence and Lucille Soppe. Tom was raised in rural Worthington, Iowa. He was a 45-year member of Local 125 Plumbers and Pipefitters Union since 1966. Tom primarily worked in commercial refrigeration and taught apprentices in this field for many years.
He served active duty in the Navy during the Vietnam conflict. He continued to serve in the Naval Reserve and retired after 20 years, earning the rank of E-7.
Tom is survived by his wife, Cathryn; and his children, in reverse birth order: Carrie Soppe (Josh Northcutt), Sara Jayne (Rod Baldwin), Jennifer Jayne, Dean (Mollie) Soppe, Jill (Rob) Nelson, Joan Soppe and Brian Soppe. He also is survived by his grandchildren, Dylan, Taylor, Nicholas Louis, Grace, Kate Bridget, Elle and Henry; and future grandchildren, Alexis and Kael. Tom is survived by his brothers and sisters, Richard (Soek) Soppe, Harry (Jan) Soppe, Mary (Bob) Olson and Gertrude (Don) Bessler; and by many nieces and nephews.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.
Tom worked hard at his trade and played hard after his retirement in 2002. He always had a project in development and loved spending time in his shed "tinkering" on them. He was often seen on the road in his red pickup with his best canine friends, Eddie, and later, with Dion.
Tom requested there be no visitation or funeral service. Tom donated his eyes in the desire to extend vision for others.
Iowa Cremation is in charge of the arrangements.
His firm desire is condolences be made directly to the family and not online. We hope that you will honor his request.
Tom always looked for the good in everyone he met. His life will always be remembered in the hearts of many. He lived a good and humble life.
A special thank you to Dr. Chirantin Ghosh and the entire Ghosh Center staff that cared for Tom with gentleness and compassion. A thank you to the Jones County Regional Ambulance and all the personal care shown to us at Mercy Medical Center.
Daily Newsletters