Driscoll, Tom

Tom Driscoll, 83, of Marion, went peacefully to be with the Lord on Dec. 27, 2011, at Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids. Funeral Mass: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marion. Family will greet friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Center in Marion and one hour before services Saturday at the church. Burial: Mount Calvary Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.

Tom was born April 22, 1928, and raised in Iowa County, where he graduated from Parnell High School. He then moved to Linn County, where he worked at Nash Finch Co., Milwaukee Railroad and others before going into the service during the Korean War. He was assigned to the 341st military police and the 3rd army. On Nov. 17, 1951, he was united in marriage to Helen at Immaculate Conception Church in Cedar Rapids. After the service he worked for 31 years for a little radio company in Cedar Rapids (Collins) as a supervisor for Chuck Draker in the engineering and research labs with many hundreds of great engineering technicians.

He retired and for the next 20 plus years enjoyed putting 400,000 miles on his Mobile Traveler. His travels included the United States, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Taiwan, and the Islands of the South Pacific of which his favorite was Fiji.

He and his lovely wife Helen raised a family of 10 children. Tom was a religious man with a big heart who enjoyed the outdoors and helping others.

Tom is survived by his wife of 60 years, Helen Driscoll; his children, Marian (Mike) Loeffler, Wanda (Vance) Gordon, Linda (Roy) Rhodes, Gary (Lin) Driscoll, Carol (Brian) Davis, Joan (Steve) Forsyth, Brenda (Scott) Bertrand, Gregg (Kim) Driscoll, Brian (Sue) Driscoll and Sheila (Paul) Speral; 19 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and many special nieces and nephews who were dear to his heart.

He was preceded in death by his five sisters, Mary (Ivan) Kaefring, Bea (Dick) Sweeney, Sister Christine (Anna-Marie), Catherine (Bob) Markee and Patricia Kern; two brothers, Joe (Pat) Driscoll and Patty (Maxine) Driscoll; his parents, Daniel and Mary (Dalton) Driscoll; and his grandson, Jacob Driscoll.

The family would like to thank the nursing staff and hospice of Mercy Medical Center for their care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in Tom's honor.

Please sign the online guest book for Tom at  under obituaries.

Published Dec. 29, 2011, in The Gazette