Mick, Gene P.

Gene P. Mick, 73, of Cedar Rapids, died Dec. 6, 2011, at his home. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home, 4200 First Ave. NE. Thre will be no visitation.

Survivors include his children, Greg of Cedar Rapids and Dallas, Texas area; Gary of Venice, Calif., and Lori (Roberta) of Merriam, Kan.; brothers, Jerry (Ruth) of Hiawatha, Jon (Phyllis) of Vinton and David (Marjorie) of Vinton; and three grandsons,: Kyle, Evan and Dane, of the Dallas area.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Charlotte Darrow; and his brother, Charles (Bob) Mick.

Born in Ottumwa in 1938, Gene was the third of six children born to Ed and Lucille Mick, who brought the family to Cedar Rapids in 1951. He graduated from McKinley High School and went on to work at Allis Chalmers for a few years before he began a long career as a designer at Rockwell-Collins. He wed Carol Gladwin in 1957, and together they raised three children in northeast Cedar Rapids.

Gene is remembered as a very active man who enjoyed hunting, fishing, softball, racquetball, basketball, woodworking, hunting mushrooms, walking in the timber, and working on the family's cabin on the Wapsipinicon River. In his retirement, he was known to golf up to 100 times a season, build his hole-in-one trophy count, and tour the small Iowa courses with his golfing buddies.

He was always available to help out at Kennedy track meets, where his children ran, or to help his brothers or parents work on their houses.

In his illness, he had been grateful, as we all are, for the care and assistance he received from his oldest son, Greg, and the Mercy Hospice home services, which allowed him to pass peacefully in his own home.

Published Dec. 8, 2011, in The Gazette