Eicher M.D., Dr. Charles R. 'Chuck'

Dr. Charles R. “Chuck” Eicher M.D., 85, of Iowa City, died Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009, at Mercy Hospice in Iowa City. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 28, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Iowa City, with the Very Rev. Rudolph Juarez officiating. Visitation will be Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City, where a parish rosary will be held at 5:30 p.m. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the Regina Catholic Education Center, Mercy Hospital Foundation or Iowa City Hospice.

Born Aug. 12, 1924, in Wayland, Iowa, he was the son of Grace and Jacob Eicher. He attended Wayland High School, the University of Iowa and received his M.D. from the U of I Medical School in 1951. He served his residency in San Bernardino, Calif. Chuck served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and earned the rank of First Lieutenant. In 1950, he married Betty Baldwin at St. Patrick's Church in Iowa City. He was widowed in 1982. In 1988, he married Marita McGurk at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Iowa City.

He was a family practice physician for 39 years in Iowa City and was the plant physician at Procter & Gamble from the time it opened in 1955 until his retirement in 1991. He loved being a doctor. He especially loved delivering babies. During his career, he delivered 2,683 children in Iowa City.

After retiring, he joined Foreign Catholic Missions and worked for six years as a volunteer doctor at Mercy Clinics in Belize, as well as St. Lucia and Indian Mission in Montana. Chuck served as Mercy Hospital Chief of Staff and was on the board of directors for the hospital. He was a great supporter of Regina and served as a school board member. He was also a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

He was an avid bicyclist, riding RAGBRAI several times and he was often seen riding around town, his bike with his little black bag on the back. He restored and flew Piper Cub airplanes, flying them to the Oshkosh Antique Fly-in.

He loved to sail, bringing up the rear at many sailboat races at Lake Macbride. He was also an accomplished wood worker, making clocks and many pieces of furniture. And he loved to farm. One of his most beloved projects was his “Set Aside” in Cosgrove, Iowa. He planted native grasses and trees and raised bees there for over 10 years. He built the cabin at the Cottage Reserve at Lake Macbride with his father-in-law in 1953 and spent almost every summer Sunday there with his family. He was a member of the Iowa City Barber Shop Chorus for several years and could always be heard singing bass at Mass. An avid Cubs fan, he always had high hopes for them and enjoyed traveling to see them play.

Chuck was a kind and gentle man with a huge capacity to love. He was a wonderful father, a kind and gentle doctor and a good friend.

He is survived by his wife, Marita; daughters, Anne (Doug) Eckermann of Urbandale, Iowa, Jane (Phil) Domeier of Elk River, Minn., and Lisa Eicher of Woodbury, Minn.; and son, John (Bubs) of Studio City, Calif.; stepchildren, Carm (Greg) Nelson of Lindstrom, Minn., Steve (Muffy) McGurk of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Ramona McGurk of Iowa City and Susan (Ray) Holliday of Klamath Falls, Ore.; brother, Frank Eicher of Fort Myers, Fla.; sister-in-law, Marty Eicher of Iowa City; 21 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty; his parents; a sister, Marie Boozel; and his brother, Dan.

Online condolences can be directed to