Memorial
Delbert Cole, 87, of Cedar Rapids, passed away at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown on May 27, 2026. Visitation will be held from 4-7 PM, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids. The visitation will begin with military honors in tribute to Delbert’s service in the U.S. Navy.
Delbert was born on March 6, 1939, in Harpers Ferry, Iowa, the son of John and Minnie (Schobert) Cole. With dedication and pride, Delbert served in the U.S. Navy as one of the Seabees. As a member of a Mobile Construction Battalion, he helped build portable airstrips in Da Nang and Chu Li, Vietnam, providing essential support during a time of war. Delbert worked at Farmstead Foods for 20 years and later did maintenance at Blue Lagoon. In his free time, Delbert enjoyed fishing, hunting, looking for Morels, and growing tomatoes. He also enjoyed sitting back in his recliner with an ice-cold Pepsi while watching Gunsmoke. Above all, Delbert cherished time spent with his daughter, Debbie, and granddaughter, Grace. Holiday meals surrounded by family were among his favorite moments and brought him great joy.
Surviving family include his children, Deborah (Keith) Blozvich of Cedar Rapids, Michael (Dana) Cole, Mark (JoEllen) Carter of Walford, and Sarah (Daryl) Crabtree of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Grace Blozvich, Julia Love-Blozvich, Faith Buttitta, Gabe Cole, Jessica Crabtree, Josh Stephens, Lena Jurakic’, and Jennifer Evans; and great-granddaughter Rosa Buttitta; and brothers, Walter Cole of Cedar Rapids and Roy (Susie) Cole of Florida.
Those preceding him in death were his parents, John and Minnie Cole; sisters, Edith Turkington and Kay Berge; and brothers, Ralph, Tom and Donald Cole.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff on Dack 2 at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown Iowa for the friendship, love and compassion delivered to Delbert during his stay.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a cause that was meaningful to Delbert.