Alberhasky, John Raymond

IOWA CITY - John Raymond Alberhasky, 92, lifelong resident of Iowa City, passed away Oct. 14, 2010. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Iowa City, with the Rev. John Spiegel officiating. Graveside services will held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph's Cemetery. Visitation for John will be held Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Services, Iowa City, where a vigil service will be held at 7:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Iowa City Hospice and the Regina Foundation.

In memory of John, sympathy notes may be left for the Alberhasky family at www.lensingfuneral.com

The Alberhasky family would like to express a thank you to the staff of Legacy Pointe and Iowa City Hospice for their compassionate, professional care.

John Raymond Alberhasky was born Sept. 9, 1918, in Iowa City, Iowa, the son of Charles and Martha (Zoladek) Alberhasky. In 1936, John graduated from St. Mary's High School, Iowa City, and attended the University of Iowa. On Dec. 31, 1940, John married the love of his life, Erma Petrak, at St. Wenceslaus Church in Iowa City. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, John joined the U.S. Navy, leaving his wife and young daughter, Joan, in Iowa City. John spent the war in Hawaii boosting moral of the troops, putting on USO-style shows and running the laundry service for the Navy.

After the war John returned to Iowa City, where he met his second child, Bill, for the first time. John purchased the corner street market in 1948 with money he saved during the war, thus beginning the legendary “John's Grocery.”

Forever a fixture at the store alongside his wife, Erma, all seven of their children were “convinced” to work at the store from a very early age through their school years. Setting the foundation of a strong work ethic and family loyalty, for 60 years John continued to work at the store beside his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and even his great-grandchildren.

For many years you could find John and Erma's camper parked next to Kinnick Stadium with the welcome sign out to all tailgaters. Loyal Iowa football and basketball fans, they regularly traveled to away games and bowl games with an ever expanding group of friends to cheer on the Hawkeyes.

John and Erma were members of the ever unique and creative “Cosgrove Klatter Band,” which performed skits and harmonized kazoo compositions in parades and entertained nursing home residents.

John was also a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, American Legion, Moose Lodge and the Iowa Grocers Association.

John will be deeply missed by Erma, his wife of 69 years; and all of his loving family, which includes his brother, Jim (Shirley) of Iowa City; a sister, Virginia Cook of Tipton; children: Joan Vandevoort (Jerry) of Phoenix, Ariz., Bill (Sheila), Jerry (Bette) and Ron (Linda), all of Iowa City, Tim (Joan) of Clive, Beverly Miller (Dean) and Lory Miller (Randy) of Iowa City; grandchildren, Kristin, Brad, Doug, Deb, Michael, JJ, Jennifer, Clint, Jami, Matt, Sarah, Kari, Chad, Brian, Amber and Aspen; 21 great-grandchildren; and extended family too numerous to count.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Martha Alberhasky; and three brothers, Don, Robert and Bernard.

John led a joyful life surrounded by extensive family and friends. Rarely does God give us an individual whose life touches so many, whose faith is so strong and whose abundant gratefulness for what he has overshadows all wants. A husband, father, businessman, grandfather, teacher and a friend, today heaven claimed a unique and powerful spirit. May he live on in our hearts forever.