Lt. Terry Joe Koehn (Ret.)

LT. TERRY JOE KOEHN (RET.)

Iowa City

Terry Joe Koehn, loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away on Friday, April 7, 2017, at the age of 70.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Coralville, with the Rev. Dr. Mitchell Otto officiating. Visitation will be Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Lensing Oak Hill Funeral Home, Coralville. Graveside services with military honors will be at 2 p.m. at Oak Hill Cemetery, Coralville. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Prince of Peace Church, the Green Castle Aero Club or to the Terry Koehn Memorial Fund.

Terry was born at home on a farm in rural Victor, Iowa, on June 2, 1946, to Frank and Ruth Koehn. He had a special bond with his two older siblings and their spouses, brother, Lonny, and wife, Sharon Koehn, and sister, Kay (Koehn), and husband, Roger Cook. Terry married Darcy Brown on Nov. 25, 1967. They shared 49 years together and were proud parents of Aaron Joseph Koehn and grandparents of Liam Joseph Koehn.

Terry was a graduate of HLV Community School. He received a degree in criminal justice from Kirkwood Community College and a Bachelor of Liberal Studies from the University of Iowa. Terry worked at Amana Refrigeration. He joined the U.S. Air Force and served for four years. Terry returned to Iowa and embarked on a law enforcement career that began with the Reserve Unit of the Coralville Police Department and concluded with retirement as a lieutenant in 2003. During his career, he served as part of LEAN and the Multiagency Drug Task Force. As he prepared for his retirement, he set a personal goal to achieve his lifelong dream of learning to fly.

Terry became a well-respected pilot and pilot instructor. Don Nelson mentored him in his career in aviation. He spent time every day managing the airport at Green Castle. The members of Green Castle Aero Club were his friends and fellow pilots sharing their love of flying.

Devotion to his church and family were always Terry's first priority. He was an active founder and member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Coralville. Terry dedicated himself wholeheartedly to his role as father and grandfather. His wife, son and grandson were the wind beneath his wings. He cherished his time with his grandson and developed a very special bond with Liam, which included everything from building Legos to flying together. He left this message to his family and friends: "My life has been full. I'm what I am because of Darcy. I've had a great career and the pleasure of flight. I have nothing more I need to ask for. God has granted everything."

Survivors include his wife, Darcy, of Iowa City; their son, Aaron, of North Liberty; grandson, Liam; and his siblings, Kay Cook of Belle Plaine and Lonny (Sharon) Koehn of Victor.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother-in-law, Roger; and his nephew, Jason.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lensingfuneral.com.