Joanne Elizabeth Trcka

Joanne Elizabeth Trcka

Cedar Rapids

Joanne Elizabeth Trcka, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Friday, October 4, 2024, at Keystones of Cedar Rapids. Rosary: 4:00-4:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 9, 2024, Papich-Kuba Funeral Home. Visitation: 4:30-7:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 9, 2024, Papich-Kuba Funeral Home. Mass of Christian burial: 10:00 a.m., Thursday, October 10, 2024, All Saints Catholic Church by Rev. John Flaherty, with one hour of visitation prior to service. Burial: St. John’s Cemetery.

Joanne was born on February 9, 1930, the daughter of Joseph and Edith (Stepanek) Zachar. She was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart, Jim, on June 7, 1951, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, a marriage that lasted for 73 years. To this union were born eight children.

Joanne first attended Buchanan Public School where she learned to speak and write English. Her family was of Czech descent and, to honor her grandparents, the Czech language was spoken in the home. In second grade, she transferred to St. Wenceslaus Catholic School where she attended until graduation in 1948. In 1951 she joined her husband in England where he was stationed in the Air Force. Three years later, after returning to the US, she became a stay-at-home mom for the next 40 years raising her large family.

She was a long-time member of All Saints Catholic Church where she belonged to St. Ann’s Circle. She volunteered at Mercy Medical Center for more than 6,000 hours doing flower design for the gift shop before the 2008 flood and after the flood in the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center where she attended the needs of patients on chemotherapy. She was a lifelong member of Mercy Hospital Auxiliary. She was a member of St. Mary’s Society.

Jim and Joanne loved to travel. While the family was growing up, they would vacation every summer with relatives and close friends at a Minnesota lake. Later they would spend part of the winter snowbirding in Florida. After the children left home, they cruised to many countries around the world.

Joanne was a very outgoing person. She would enter into conversation with anyone she met. She loved her family dearly, caring for any needs. She was a very gracious hostess making sure that any visitor to her home was offered refreshments. Early on, Joanne was labeled with a nickname from the kids: Mother McQue, or later, affectionately just McQue. It stuck and eventually became her vanity license plates.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Jim, her children Lois Trcka, and Timothy Trcka, both of Cedar Rapids, Janet (Gary) Goodhall of Clive, Iowa, Robert Trcka of Chaska, Minnesota, Mary Trcka of Lancaster, Texas; son-in-law, Brian Ollinger of Ames; 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; brothers-in-law Thomas Trcka and David (Dolores) Trcka, and sister-in-law Judy Zachar and 19 nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by twins, Dennis and Donna; daughter Ann (Trcka) Ollinger; brothers, Thomas Zachar and Joseph Zachar, Jr; sisters-in-law, Phyllis Trcka and Marcia Zachar; great-grandsons, AJ Blue and Elias Kowalewski.

Memorial donations to honor Joanne may be made to Xavier Catholic Schools System or All Saints Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.