Mary Ellen Chudacek

Mary Ellen Chudacek

Iowa City

Mary Ellen Chudacek, of Iowa City and recently of Windmill Manor in Coralville, passed away on May 15, 2025. She was born on June 11, 1948 in Iowa City to Joseph William and Elizabeth Anne (Utterback) Chudacek. She grew up with her younger brother Bill in a red brick house on Davenport Street. Mary Ellen went to school to become a legal secretary and served many years as a secretary, stenographer and typist for the Leff Firm, ACT, the Hayek Firm and Iowa State Bank (now Midwest One).

Mary Ellen spent many years working with Iowa City Community Theatre. She served almost 25 years as board secretary before spending terms as the president and treasurer of the theatre. She directed several plays and musicals, stage managed even more and was an actress and backstage crew member for many others. As she neared retirement and even a few times in retirement, she and some of her coworkers developed the habit of going to New York to see live shows on Broadway.

Mary Ellen was a devoted “Peanuts” fan and was cast in ICCT’s first production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and directed its second production. She was particularly drawn to Woodstock because he was yellow, her favorite color.

Iowa City Community Theatre honored Mary Ellen with a lifetime membership in 1989. She led the 40th anniversary committee and was responsible for the compilation of a 40-year history book. She received a Board Award for her outstanding service to the organization that year.

Mary Ellen was the last member of the Chudacek family to reside in the Iowa City area. She was preceded in death by her father Joe (1978), mother Betty (1999) and brother Bill (2018). She is survived by two Utterback cousins: John and David, from whom she was estranged; the Forbes families of Lone Tree who farm the Chudacek homestead, her legal families at Leff, Hayek and Midwest One as well as her theatre family, now scattered around the world.

Visitation will be held from 4-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 5:00 p.m. Interment will be at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Iowa City Community Theatre for its permanent home, St. Mary’s Catholic Church to be used for the altar guild, the Johnson County Historical Society or the Regina Foundation for their theatre program.