Memorial

John Patrick “Pat” McPartland died peacefully November 24, 2024, at age 98 after a brief illness.  This tribute, in lieu of a memorial service, is long because he lived a long and full life. 

Born January 25, 1926, to Thomas Francis (Fritz) McPartland and Ruby (Christiansen) McPartland, he lived his early life on Linn Blvd. in Cedar Rapids. The youngest of four children, he enjoyed the guidance and mentorship of his parents and older siblings, especially his brother Tom.

Pat and Joyce Dwyer were married in April of 1951 and remained married until her death in December of 2017.

He was engaged throughout his early life in many and varied occupations:  as a newspaper delivery boy; on a railroad section gang; as a mailman; assembling airplanes in California during World War II; tending bar at his father’s tavern (the Uptown Village); and as a reporter for the Daily Iowan and WSUI radio. After college, his employment included work as a Gazette reporter covering sports, autos and the courthouse; in public relations for a statewide sheriffs’ association and at Collins Radio; as a real estate agent for John Zachar Realty; and, for most of the rest of his working life, as an advertising executive well before Mad Men. While working at Ambro Advertising in the 1960’s, he was closely involved in the development of the advertising campaign for Iowa Electric Light and Power Company – “i.e.: Instant Energy/ Iowa Electric”.  He eventually started an in-house advertising department at Iowa Electric and retired from the company at age 62.  

His activities away from work included acting in community theatre, judging  Golden Gloves boxing matches, running for state representative, officiating high school and college football, and membership in the Linn County I Club.  He was a longtime member of the Literary Club, and continued to write regularly into his late 90’s.  

He loved cars, and in the late 1950s and early 1960s, we were the only family living on 23rd St., NE in Cedar Rapids with a Hillman Minx coupe. In 1963, our family took the train to Pontiac, Michigan, where we toured the Pontiac plant and drove away with a custom built, navy blue Pontiac Tempest station wagon he had specially ordered. 

He loved dogs and had many throughout his life.  He loved to tell stories of his first dog, Van Dyke, who rode in his bicycle basket while he delivered newspapers.  

He lived a full and well examined life, enjoying and introducing his family to culture of all sorts. He took his children to see extraordinary live music, including the first Bix Fest in Davenport, Buddy Rich at Mr. Kelly’s on Rush Street in Chicago, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra outdoors in St. Louis.  He loved theatre and, in addition to acting in community theatre, saw Broadway productions of The Music Man, West Side Story, Man of LaMancha, Auntie Mame, My Fair Lady, and Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway in Hello Dolly.  He introduced us to great literature and poetry and took us to lectures and to see speakers we were interested in seeing.  He took his family to uncountable sports events, including Iowa football and basketball, Cubs games, college all-star football games at Soldier Field, and MLB and NFL games, training camps and playoff games.  He saw Nile Kinnick play in what is now Kinnick Stadium and met and interviewed Duke Slater in the 1950s.  

He treated us to great food (including at the Cape Cod Room and the top of the Hancock Tower) and took us to other iconic places (including the Rose Bowl, the museums in Chicago, national parks, the World’s Fair, the St. Louis Arch, the Statue of Liberty, the Plaza Hotel in NYC and Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania).   Pat had a lifelong love of Dixieland music, especially Bix Beiderbecke, but also loved and exposed us to Brubeck, other modern jazz, Broadway and popular American music. He loved a good laugh, enjoyed James Thurber cartoons and George Bernard Shaw plays, and bought and played for us comedy records/LPs in the 1960s.

He loved to quote from memory great poetry, including Thoreau (“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because hears a different drummer drumming...), Kipling, Poe and many music lyrics. He loved to tell stories of his life, including the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933, seeing Joe DiMaggio and other famous sports figures play, and throwing up into his father’s straw hat on a cable car in San Francisco. He played slow pitch softball well into his 40s, and took up tennis in his 40’s and enjoyed playing well into his 70’s.  He and Brian laughed about taking home a winners platter from a father-son tennis tournament at which they were the only contestants who showed up.

Pat was a devoted father who spent many hours pitching softballs and whiffleballs in Bever Park to his sons and any neighborhood kids who were interested, shooting baskets in the driveway, throwing footballs in the front yard, and attending every sort of sports, music and other event in which his children were involved.

He was preceded in death by his wife Joyce, his parents, siblings and close sister-in-law Kiki McPartland, and many dear and devoted friends. He is survived by his three sons, Dennis (Julie), Sean (Tracy), and Brian, his caretaker, “roommate” and best friend in his later years. He is also survived by his grandchildren, and several close nieces and nephews, including Katie, Mary and Tom and their families.  Special thanks to the wonderfully kind, attentive and patient staff at the Rehabilitation Center of Lisbon for his care in the last months of his life.

As was always his directive, he donated his body to the University of Iowa. It’s still great to be a Hawkeye! Although there will be no service, those wishing to make donations in his name are encouraged to make donations to the Mercy Family Caregivers Center or a charity of their choice.