David Gebhard Sr.

DAVID WENDELL GEBHARD SR.

Iowa City

David Gebhard, 74, died peacefully at home in Iowa City on Nov. 11, 2015, after a long illness. Celebration of Life will be held at the Kirkwood Room, 515 Kirkwood Ave., Iowa City, on Friday, Jan. 22,

from 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 22 will be the 75th anniversary of David's birth.

Memorials may be directed to Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa (940 S. Gilbert Ct., Iowa City, IA 52240), Faith United Church of Christ (1609 DeForest Ave., Iowa City, IA 52240) or Iowa City Hospice (1025 Wade St., Iowa City, IA 52240).

David wished to be cremated. His cremains will be scattered in upstate New York at a later date.

Born in Yonkers, N.Y., in 1941 and raised there until his 14th birthday, David moved with his parents to San Rafael, Calif., where he lived until entering Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore. He later earned an M.A. in history from the University of Iowa and passed Ph.D. comprehensive exams there.

David and his first wife, Ilona Kay Gebhard, gave birth to two sons, Peter (born in 1961) and David (born in 1963).

In 1978, David married Ann Zerkel, a colleague at Kirkwood Community College.

David helped found the Economic Justice Committee of Faith United Church of Christ in Iowa City, and was its first chairperson. In 2013, he passed that baton to his wife, Ann.

He was predeceased by his parents and his ex-wife, Ilona Kay Gebhard.

David is survived by his wife, Ann Zerkel; his sons, Peter and David Gebhard Jr.; brothers-in-law, Lee and Rob Whalen and Tom Zerkel (Sarah); and numerous cousins, nephews, nieces and dear friends.

A more complete obituary may be found at www.lensingfuneral.com, where online condolences may be left for the family.