Robert 'Gene' Mahany

ROBERT EUGENE "GENE" MAHANY

Cedar Rapids

Gene Mahany, 95, of Cottage Grove Place in Cedar Rapids, died peacefully there on May 15, 2018. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, June 15, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Pastor Sherrie Ilg will officiate. Inurnment will be

at Cedar Memorial Park in Cedar Rapids. Friends may visit with the family from

4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home.

Gene was born June 3, 1922, to John and Bertha Mahany, in Sioux City, Iowa. He graduated from Sioux City Central High School and then attended Iowa State College. He joined the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1944 and served actively until 1946. He returned to Iowa State, where he lettered in baseball. He completed his degree and married his first wife, Betty, in June 1947. He taught in Ottumwa, Iowa, and at Roosevelt High School in Cedar Rapids. In 1957, he joined the Collins Radio Co., where he worked as an industrial engineer and manager. Betty passed away in 1968. In 1970, he married Clarise Tucker. He retired from Collins in 1982. Gene spent his retirement years traveling and working in his wood shop. Clarise passed away in 2007.

Gene developed his love of woodworking by working with his father. Over the years, he made many pieces of furniture for his family and his church. In his later years, he learned woodcarving and made the beautiful carved birds which decorated the walls wherever he lived. His two other hobbies were watching baseball (Go Cubs!) and any Iowa State Cyclones sport. He was well-known for his sense of humor and his love of making terrible puns.

Gene is survived by his children, Linda Neilsen of Cedar Rapids, Richard (Nancy) Mahany of Indianapolis, and Janis (Gray) Butterfield of Austin, Texas; and two stepdaughters, Diane Tucker (Mark Hobson) of Birmingham, Ala., and Debra Tucker of Minneapolis; and by daughter-in-law, Pam Mahany. He also is survived by seven grandchildren, Erica Neilsen of Ames, Andrew (Jessi) Neilsen of Ames, Laine Butterfield of Austin, Texas, Jesse Goin of Minneapolis, Seth (Ayla) Goin of Minneapolis, Kyle (Allison) Tucker-Davis of Twentynine Palms, Calif., and Brandon (Heather) Carr of Irvine, Calif. He also is survived by two great-granddaughters, Lola Goin of Minneapolis and Katelyn Tucker-Davis of Twentynine Palms.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, his two sisters, and his son, Ronald L. Mahany.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Ronald L. Mahany Endowment in care of St. Luke's Foundation at 855 A Ave. NE, Suite 105, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 or at http://www.unitypoint.org/

cedarrapids/services-foundation-donate-now.aspx.