Dowd, Steve

Steve Dowd, 63, of Coralville, died Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013, at Lantern Park Nursing and Rehab Center under the care of Care Initiatives Hospice, his family, and the loving staff of Lantern Park, due to complications of pancreatic cancer. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with a Masonic service at 7:30 p.m. A Celebration of Steve's Life will begin at 4 p.m. Friday at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City. An additional visitation will take place from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Reinig Center in Toledo, Iowa. Graveside services will be held 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Toledo Cemetery.

His family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Care Initiatives Hospice or Clarksville Masonic Lodge, Coralville.

Online condolences may be sent for his family through the web at .

Steven Charles Dowd was born Sept. 3, 1950, in Marshalltown, to Irwin and Fern (Jolls) Dowd. He grew up in rural Toledo on the family farm along the Dupanda Road and had fond memories of attending Otter Creek No. 5 School during his early elementary years. He graduated from South Tama in 1968 and University of Iowa in 1972 with degrees in social work and psychology. His nursing home administration career began in 1976, and he served as administrator at Iowa City Care Center, Independence Care Center, Bettendorf Care Center and finally for 23 years at Lantern Park. He served for many years on the Iowa State Nursing Home Administrators Licensure Board.

Steve married his high school sweetheart, Beth Utterback Aug. 31, 1969, and they shared 44 years together. They shared a love of bicycling, taking their bikes to many states to ride rail-trails. They traveled frequently and always advised friends not to wait until retirement to travel. They also sang together in church choir.

Steve and Beth have two children, Phil (Amy) of Tulsa, Okla. and Sarah Dowd of Cedar Rapids. Also surviving is Steve's mother, Fern Dowd of Toledo; two stepgrandchildren, Justice Milton and Jordan Allen; a special granddog, Snickers; Steve's niece, Sheri Senft of Coralville; nephew, Jon Mohler of Iowa City; and special cousin, Barb Dowd of Cedar Falls.

Steve dedicated his life to serving others through his work as a nursing home administrator, and through his church, Clarksville Masonic Lodge, Coralville, Noon Optimist Club of Coralville and Iowa City Hospice Board. Families who brought their loved ones to Steve's Care Centers found a gentle, compassionate, loving man who always did all he could to make the resident's stay as comfortable as possible, while preserving personal dignity.

Steve's faith in Jesus Christ was the highest priority in his life and he shared this with everyone in his final weeks.

Steve was preceded in death by his father, Irwin Dowd; and his sister, Susan Mohler.

Published in The Gazette Oct. 16, 2013.