I knew David and Ruth while they were at Cottage Grove Place and saw David at St. Matthew's after I had left working at Cottage Grove. He was a very sweet man and will be missed. May he rest in peace.
Taylor Lukan
June 15, 2026
Dave McGuire understood the value of public service. I got to know him at Cottage Grove Place. He was always insightful and aware of the human factors in life. He had a long and productive life. I join his family in celebrating his life. Our community is better off because he was here.
William C. Jacobson Fellow Resident Cottage Grove Place
William Jacobson
June 14, 2026
Vicky and Dave, I am sorry for the delay in expressing my condolences on the loss of your father. I don't get the CR Gazette and I just now ran across your Dad's obituary online. I am so sorry for your loss, he was such a sweet man. I have so many fond memories of him at my parents' dinner parties, our houseboat trips down the Mississippi River, and many wonderful times at Elmcrest Country Club. May he rest in peace.
Diana Greenwood-Walterman
June 13, 2026
Dear Doug and Vicki-So sorry to hear of your dad's passing. He was a wonderful man and a very fine lawyer. I always remember seeing him and your mother at Sunday Mass at St. Matt's for many years on their way up the aisle to communion. The last time I saw him was at Mary Martin's funeral. You have my deepest sympathy and prayers. He had a good, long, and amazing life!
Kathy Dowd Ulrich
June 1, 2026
To Dave’s family, I offer my deepest condolences. I know that losing a parent is a great loss. I hope that you all find some peace knowing your father lived a long and rich life.
I knew Dave from work. He hired me as an Assistant City Attorney in June of 1986, and I am so grateful for the opportunities that he gave me as a result. They were life changing for me and my family. For the next 12 or so years I was honored and privileged to learn so much from Dave about what it meant to be an attorney, and more particularly, as an attorney for the City.
Dave was one of the best lawyers I ever met. He had a razor-sharp legal mind able to analyze complex legal problems and particularly civil lawsuits. He quickly knew what was important and what was not and plan the most effective legal strategy. He taught me how to read legal decisions often reminding me to focus on what the court said, not what my interpretation was. “What did the Court actually say” he would ask me and I would return to my research to find the actual words used by the judges. He knew and understood the judges, other lawyers and also how juries thought. He tailored his cases beautifully. He often told me to be direct, focused, and to not get side-tracked. He felt that if you presented all the facts simply and directly, and did not try to hide anything, that a good result was likely.
Dave was a consummate professional. He always wore a suit and tie. Always. The tie was never loosened, and the suit coat was always buttoned, even when sitting at his desk. He was a stickler for doing the right things the right way. If a trial date was set, we were going to show up ready to try it. If a filing was due, it was going to be filed on time. When Dave made a representation to a judge, that judge knew it was true. Everyone in the system was treated professionally with courtesy and respect. He told all of us in the office many times that the public expected that from us.
Dave had a humorous side as well and was a gifted teller of stories. He had a wonderful sense of humor and could deliver a punch line with perfect timing and inflection. Often, he would ask me if he had ever told me a story, and I would say no, even when untrue, because I wanted to hear him tell it again.
When Dave retired, I was fortunate enough to follow him as City Attorney. I tried to live up to the example he set. I asked him if he would be willing to continue as a consulting attorney on a limited basis, and he agreed. He was particularly expert with regard to providing legal services to the Eastern Iowa Airport. I greatly appreciated that he would still be part of our team.
I could go on and on about his contributions to the City, the local legal community, and those of us who had the great fortune to have been mentored by him. Everyone has one or more “McGuire” stories, and they are worth telling again.
Well done Dave!
Jim Flitz
May 31, 2026
God bless Mr. Mcguire.
daniel j greenwood
May 29, 2026