John Thirnbeck

JOHN (MICK) THIRNBECK

Cedar Rapids

John (Mick) Thirnbeck, 90, of Cedar Rapids. died Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha.

John Wilson Baptiste Thirnbeck was born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, on Dec. 30, 1926. He married Barbara Jean Westran on Feb. 10, 1948.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. A visitation will be held one hour before the service, beginning at 2 p.m. at the chapel. Entombment will follow in Cedar Memorial Park Mausoleum.

Mick left school in 10th grade to become an apprentice of tool design. He later joined the Royal Canadian Navy and served three years during World War II. Upon his return, Mick completed his apprenticeship and became a full-fledged tool designer.

His first 10 years he worked for Canadian General Electric Co., which employed 5,000 people. He left GE and worked for Outboard Marine Corp. in Peterborough. Upon reading the Toronto Star newspaper, he noticed an ad for tool designers at the Square D Co. in Cedar Rapids. In 1963, he accepted the job at Square D and moved his family from Canada to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he resided ever since. Mick retired from Square D in 1989.

Mick loved big band music, playing pool with his Keystone buddies (the Rat Pack), going to Iowa football games, hosting Sigma Chi parties for his son Greg, traveling to California to spend time with his son Jeff and family, and traveling the world with his wife, Barbara. Some of his best friends in life he met while serving in the Canadian Navy, but above all, Mick loved spending time with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his two sons, Gregory (Lisa) and Jeffrey Thirnbeck; grandchildren, Casey (Ben) Scott, Jeffrey James Thirnbeck, Parker Riley Thirnbeck, Tyler Gregory Thirnbeck and Caitlin Kyle Thirnbeck; five great-grandchildren, Bradley Allen Scott, Justin Ian Scott, Madalynn Gail Scott, Preston James Wheeler and Luna Ray Archuletta; a brother, Charles (Doreen) Thirnbeck; and a sister-in-law, Helene Pratt Koval.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Barbara (Westran) Thirnbeck, on July 31, 2005; his son, Stephen Mark; and his parents, Charles and Alberta Thirnbeck.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.