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.
Barthel, James Arthur
James Arthur Barthel, 51, formerly of Naples, Fla., passed away unexpectedly Oct. 16, 2011, in Naples. His home is in Arvada, Colo., and he was visiting his children in Florida at the time of his death.
He will be remembered as a man of great integrity as the founder and former CEO of Creative Fitness Marketing, a worldwide corporation.
He was born Oct. 11, 1960, in Iowa. He graduated from Mount Vernon High School. He was the starting quarterback on his high school football team which went to the Iowa state championship game. Jim graduated in business with an emphasis in fitness management from the University of Northern Iowa in 1984. On Oct. 11, 1990, his 30th birthday, Jim founded Creative Fitness Marketing, and with offices in the United Kingdom, Australia and the USA, it soon became the worldwide leader in health club marketing. Jim built this company from scratch and its success was centered around his reputation of unrivaled integrity. Many leaders in today's fitness industry started their careers working for Jim. Not only was he an astute business man, but Jim lived the American dream - he built a global company, and then officially retired at age 47.
Jim was greatly loved by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Gloria, and daughter, Julie, of Colorado. He is also survived by his children, Daniel Barthel, Brittany Barthel, Blake Barthel and Brooke Barthel, all of Florida. His surviving siblings in Iowa are Christy (Daniel) Den Beste, Thomas (Amy) Barthel, Catherine De Moss, John David (Delores) Barthel and Priscilla Barthel. A brother, Dr. Brian (Stefanie) Barthel, resides in Orem, Utah. Jim's mother, Mildred Barthel, survives him in Logan, Utah. Jim has numerous nieces and nephews in various states who also survive him.
He was preceded in death by his father, Dr. John P. Barthel; a half brother, Robert McCormick; and brother in-law Paul DeMoss.
His entire extended family and friends will miss his generosity and kindness.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Fuller Funeral Home, 1625 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples, FL 34109.
For condolences visit
Published Oct. 23, 2011, in The Gazette
Daily Newsletters