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.
Dale Twachtmann
DALE TWACHTMANN
Lakeland, Fla.
Dale Henry Twachtmann, longtime water resources, environmental administrator and consultant, passed away peacefully at his home in Lakeland, Fla., on Sunday, May 17, 2015.
Born on March 22, 1932, in Lowden, Iowa, the son of Henry G. and Milda Butterbrodt Twachtmann, he graduated from Lowden High School. In 1955, he graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in civil engineering and was designated the Distinguished Military Graduate and named the Cadet Colonel. He served as a 1st lieutenant in the U.S. Army as an army aviator, flying both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters in support of the Artillery School in Fort Sill, Okla., immediately following the Korean War. Dale will be remembered as one of Florida's most important figures in the state's struggle over the last 40 years to find an acceptable balance between the growing demand and use of water and needs of natural systems.
Dale was an extraordinary man in his work as well as in his personal life. He went about each day with generosity, wisdom, creativity and sensitivity that only true leaders have. He was an articulate visionary who knew how to extract the best from all who knew him – family, friends, colleagues alike. He leaves a very large void in all our hearts and his legacy will remain in the waters of the great state of Florida and beyond.
He is survived by his wife, Gwen, of Lakeland, Fla.; beloved daughters, Mary Dale of Tampa, Fla., and Jeannette of Belleair, Fla.; former wife and mother of his children, Mary Sidney Twachtmann of Tampa, Fla.; brother, Larry Twachtmann (Joleen) of Marion, Iowa; and his wife's children, Rebecca Cartwright and family of Jackson, Mich., Bert Beaman and family of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Budd Beaman and family of Ventura, Calif.
A memorial service will be held Friday, May 22, at 2 p.m. at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, 5225 Himes Ave., Tampa, FL 33614.
On Sunday, May 31, a reception and gathering of family and friends will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. at Grasslands Golf and Country Club, 1600 Grasslands Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33803.
In lieu of flowers, Dale requested memorial contributions be made to Morning Star School of Tampa, 210 E. Linebaugh Ave., Tampa, FL 33612.
Daily Newsletters