John Alvin Egnew, 78
John Alvin Egnew, 78, of Marshalltown, entered eternal rest early Monday morning, May 25, 2020, at Glenwood Place in Marshalltown. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday June 5, 2020 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish – St. Henry Church in Marshalltown. Burial will be in the Riverside Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, June 4th at St. Henry Church. In accordance with current guidelines, only ten attendees can be present at a given time. Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear face masks and practice social distancing. Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Henry Church in John’s memory.
The Mitchell Family Funeral Home has been entrusted with caring for John and his family. To leave a condolence or for more information, please visit mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.
John was born on January 3, 1942, in Missouri, the son of Alvin and Rosalie (Hill) Egnew. He attended grade school in Midland, TX and graduated from high school in Tulsa, OK. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in mechanical engineering and later earned his MBA from Drake University. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and faithfully served our country as a Damage Control Assistant officer on the destroyer, USS Marshall-DD676. His final rank was Lt. J.G. John’s career in engineering lead him to Fisher Controls in Marshalltown where he later met his wife, Judy Gaffney. The couple were united in marriage in February 1970 and made their home in Marshalltown. John was a faithful and very active member of St. Henry’s Church, the Secular Franciscan Order, the Knights of Columbus, the ProLife Committee and the Marshalltown Men’s Chorus. He enjoyed volunteering at the Iowa Veteran’s Home, cheering for the Oklahoma Sooners, strumming bluegrass songs on his banjo, playing tennis and being an active member of the Boy Scouts of America. He earned the highest rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 15.
Left to cherish his memory are his children: Jami (John) Meilahn, Jill (Dave) Thorman, Melissa (Gary) Sargent and Michael (Abbey) Egnew; sixteen grandchildren: Megan, Marli, Mitch, Max and Maddie Meilahn, Dylan and Mason Thorman, Bridget, Natalie, Ross and Carrie Heddens, Jack, Addison, Cole, Norah and Cooper Egnew; and two step grandchildren: Joe and Claire Sargent.
In eternal life, John has been reunited with his parents, his wife, Judy and his sister, Susan.