Abigail “Abby” Pumroy

Abigail “Abby” Pumroy

Cedar Rapids

Abigail “Abby” Pumroy, of Cedar Rapids, went to be with the Lord on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clincs. Visitation will be held at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home on Friday, Sept. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. A funeral service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Marion on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. with internment to follow at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.

Abby was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, before moving to Brooklyn, N.Y., at the age of 6. She graduated Bushwick High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. and then went to the University of Dubuque, earning her bachelor’s degree in education. While there she met her husband, Tom, and they were united in marriage on Aug. 8, 1964. She began teaching in 1965. She entered the University of Iowa, earning a Master’s degree in Spanish and Spanish Literature. She returned to teaching and in total taught 50 years in ranges from alternative kindergarten to the collegiate level. Her most memorable teaching came at Cedar Rapids Washington for 17 years where she formally retired from full-time teaching in 2002. During her teaching career she facilitated and chaperoned several student travel trips to Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain. Her final teaching assignment was as the English as Second Language program for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Beyond her vocation she was active in many other positions and had many other interests. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Marion. She served the church as a Deacon, Elder and Sunday School Teacher. She served on the Iowa GOP Central Committee and was the Republican Teacher of the Year in 1993. Abby was nominated and served the State of Iowa on the Civil Rights Commission from 1987-1991 serving as chair in her final year of her term. She founded the Jail Ministries for Linn County in 2002 and assisted in bringing the word of God to inmates for 10 years.

She and Tom also served as a host family for the Cedar Rapids Kernels from 2000-2019, housing 57 players, many from Latin America. Of those 57, 18 made it to the major leagues.

She is survived by her husband, Tom of Cedar Rapids; sons, B.J. (Kaela) of Hastings, Neb., and Col. Kyle (Kelly) of Colorado Springs, Colo., daughter, Marta of Austin, Texas; and grandchildren, Paiton, Kinnick, Maddux and Thomas. She also is survived by her brother, John (Francis) of North Massapequa, N.Y. She was preceded in death by her parents, Juan and Candida Perez; and infant daughter, Beverly.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Abby Pumroy Memorial Fund.

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