Wittwer, John 'Jack' R.

John “Jack” R. Wittwer of Marion passed away peacefully Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, from pancreatic cancer at the Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha. Visitation will be at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 5 to 8 p.m. Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at Hope United Church of Christ in Hiawatha. Family also will greet friends one hour before the service on Thursday.

Jack was born in Eau Claire, Wis., on June 10, 1933, to Rudy and Lucille (Lindo) Wittwer. He was raised on a dairy farm south of Eau Claire and attended Lowes Creek and Sunnyview Country Schools and graduated from Eau Claire Senior High in 1951. Jack joined the U.S. Navy in May 1952 and served as an Electrician Mate aboard the USS Raymond until April 1956.

Upon leaving the Navy, he enrolled in Brown Electronic School in Minneapolis. Following graduation, Jack married June Braun of Greenwood, Wis., in August 1959 and they moved to Kingston, N.Y., so Jack could attend IBM Computer School. After completing his schooling, they were transferred to San Bernadino, Calif., where they lived from 1960-1963. To be closer to home Jack accepted a job with Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids to install, maintain and service computer systems. During his career he held a number of field service, supervisory and management positions. He retired in 1994 after 32 years with them.

During their marriage Jack and June enjoyed traveling to visit family and friends, camping, boating and going to dances. In 1989, they purchased a cabin on Mead Lake near Greenwood, Wis., where they spent many wonderful days with family and friends. Jack and June have been season ticket holders to Iowa Hawkeye football and Iowa women's basketball games for over 30 years. They were also avid followers of the Green Bay Packers. Through the years they never missed a sporting event of either their daughter, Wendy, or granddaughter, Brooke.

Jack was an avid outdoorsman. He loved fishing and pheasant and deer hunting. He also enjoyed working on his cabin, helping out on his friend's farm at harvest time, keeping in touch with friends/family through email and was an active member of his church, Hope UCC. No one was a stranger to Jack. He loved to meet and talk to people and was generous with his time and always available to lend a helping hand to anyone. He always made sure that the people in his life were well taken care of.

Jack is survived by his wife of 54 years, June; daughter, Wendy (Kevin) Mease, and granddaughter, Brooke. Other survivors include his sisters, Kathy and Susie.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother, George Wittwer.

A special thanks to the staff at Hall-Perrine Cancer Center for all their kindness and care.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family in Jack's honor. The family will direct memorials to the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center and to pancreatic cancer research.

Online condolences may be expressed at under “obituaries.”

Published in The Gazette Dec. 10, 2013.