Bart Thomas Haddy

BART THOMAS HADDY

Cedar Rapids

Bart Thomas Haddy, 64, longtime resident of Cedar Rapids, passed from this world on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2022, at his home. Visitation will be Monday, Jan. 3, at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories State Room from 4 to 7 p.m. with Trisagion prayer service at 7 p.m. Funeral will be Tuesday, Jan. 4, at St. George Orthodox Church in Cedar Rapids at 10 a.m. with viewing an hour before. Burial at St. George Cemetery will follow the funeral service.

Bart was born on Jan. 25, 1957, to Joseph and Loretta (Abodeely) Haddy at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids. He grew up helping his parents run the local grocery stores they owned and operated. Bart was proud to say he attended Polk Elementary School and lived across the street from Franklin Middle School. He graduated from CR Washington High School in 1975 and had been on the class reunion committee of WHS Class of 1975 Shining Stars. During his high school days, Bart served as athletic trainer for the Washington Warriors. He continued his athletic training at the University of Iowa football program under Coach Bob Cummings. Bart graduated with a B.S. degree in liberal arts. Throughout his life, Bart would be seen working or playing racquetball at the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan YMCA.

Bart was also an active bike rider. Bart's favorite field of employment was when he worked as a marketing/salesperson for Intertrade Limited, which was part of Intertrade/Collins which then changed to Midwest Aerospace. He was an outside sales staff for Mediacom and worked as an enumerator for the U.S. Census for 1980 and 2010. As a customer service/sales rep, Bart worked for GE Capital and Toyota Financial in collections, TransAmerica and GreatAmerica Financial. Later, he decided to sell insurance for different companies. His last fulltime employment was with Labor Finders.

On May 11, 2002, Bart had a blind date in Des Moines with Deanna Yilek, attending Phantom of the Opera. Things went so well that on Mother's Day weekend in 2004, Bart asked Deanna to "move the diamond ring (she had won in a country radio contest) to her left hand" so they could get married. Their wedding day was a BIG event on June 4, 2005, since as Loretta said, "FINALLY!"

In January 2006, Bart had an extreme backache which he found out was a tumor that had perforated his colon. This was after years and years of ulcerative colitis. The surgeon tried to piece the colon together, but ended up putting in a colostomy. After going through six months of chemotherapy, blood numbers were still not normal. In 2007, Bart went through a splenectomy and a colectomy two months apart. He was cleared of cancer and spent many years traveling with Deanna to Iowa Hawkeyes football and basketball games, St Louis Cardinals baseball games and numerous concerts.

On June 25, 2019, Bart was diagnosed with AML, acute myeloid leukemia. He started treatment at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. After many visits for blood and/or platelet transfusions, Bart decided to move his treatment with Dr. Jasmine Nabi at Hall Perrine Cancer Center in Cedar Rapids, since he would not qualify for a bone marrow transplant at UIHC. His last chemo treatment was September 2020, which was followed by a maintenance treatment of weekly lab work and possible transfusions when needed.

Bart also had chronic kidney disease which required monitoring. In November 2021, he developed infection due to a fistula near his stomach, where he was hospitalized three times in that month and one time in December. After his first hospital visit, Bart said he was a cat with nine lives that enabled him and Deanna to take a trip to Las Vegas to see a Sting performance. Bart was able to celebrate Christmas with both Deanna's family and his brother and niece. After those celebrations, Bart's health declined quickly where he had stopped eating. He was so weak he struggled to walk. Now he is in heaven free of pain.

He was preceded in death by Joe and Loretta Haddy; as well as numerous relatives, including the Rev. Thomas Abodeely.

Bart is survived by his wife, Deanna, and their two cats, Casey and Callie. He also is survived by his brother, Craig Haddy from Aurora, Ill.; niece, Ashley Haddy in Florida; uncle, Roger Haddy; and aunt, Joyce Abodeely.

In lieu of flowers, memorials made be directed to WHS Class of 1975, Cedar Rapids Metropolitan YMCA or St. George Orthodox Church.

Online condolences may be left for the family at cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.