Gerhard 'Jerry' Loewenberg

GERHARD "JERRY" LOEWENBERG

Iowa City

Gerhard "Jerry" Loewenberg, 91, died peacefully at home on Dec. 28, 2019.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Temple Judah, 3221 Lindsay Lane SE, Cedar Rapids. Rabbi Todd Thalblum will officiate. The family will be at home in observance of shiva at 221 E. College St., from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, Wednesday, Jan. 1, and Thursday, Jan. 2.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Iowa City Hospice or Temple Judah.

He was born in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 2, 1928, to Walter and Annemarie (Cassirer) Loewenberg. He, his parents and his sister, Marianne, emigrated to New York in 1936. Jerry graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1945, and continued his education at Cornell University, where he earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in government.

Jerry married Ina Perlstein on Aug. 22, 1950.

In 1953, he joined the faculty at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., where he taught in the department of political science until 1969, serving also as acting academic dean of the college in the turbulent year, 1968 to 1969. Jerry moved to the University of Iowa in 1969, where he was a professor of political science until his retirement in 2003. During that period, he also served as chair of the political science department more than once, and was dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 1984 through 1992. Jerry founded the Comparative Legislative Research Center at the university and the professional academic journal, Legislative Studies Quarterly. He was an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

After his retirement, Jerry continued to write and publish as well as to teach courses regularly. He also taught popular classes at the Iowa City Senior Center. Jerry was a longtime member of Temple Judah in Cedar Rapids, including serving on the synagogue board. From his youth he loved classical music and enjoyed concerts at home and away.

Anyone who knew him was aware of his relentless optimism.

Jerry is survived by his wife of 69 years, Ina; his children, Deborah (Richard Ball) and Michael; brother-in-law, Barry Head; grandchildren, Sarah (Joshua Hakala), Joshua and Jacob Ball and Zoë Loewenberg; and three great-grandchildren.

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