Memorial
Lowell Waybill, 81, of Cedar Rapids died Thursday, March 26, 2015 at the University of Iowa Hospital due to complications from surgery.
A visitation will be held from 4:00 until 7:00 PM Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. A celebration of life “rum and coke party” will be held in Lowell’s honor at a later date.
Lowell was born January 21, 1934 on the family farm in Bloomfield, Iowa to Edith (Kinsler) and Arthur Waybill. He graduated from Moulton-Udell High School and attended Kirksville State Teachers College. Lowell served honorably in the United States Army where he was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington State. He was married to Marilyn (Smothers) Schmidt, they were later divorced. Lowell had been married to Nancy (Chapel) Waybill for the last thirty-eight years.
Lowell had been employed at Quaker Oats, and later at Rockwell Collins where he was a test technician for thirty years, retiring in 1989. He also worked for Happy Bright’s TV Service in Cedar Rapids for many years and eventually bought the business from Hap and ran it for many more. After retirement, he worked at numerous jobs including Kirkwood College, Frontier Herbs, and Iowa Express Delivery Service.
Being a farm boy from Missouri, he was a “jack of all trades” and could fix most anything. He enjoyed helping family and neighbors fixing (or trying to fix) electronics and finding odd jobs to work on in the yard with his son. He also liked taking his dog, Swazie, for a “walk” down the boulevard on the scooter. He thoroughly loved his home and life on the river.
Lowell is survived by his wife Nancy; five children from his first marriage: Dyanna Conner, Myron (Diane) Waybill, Connie (Mark) Petersen, Ronnie (Lisa) Waybill, all of Cedar Rapids, and Sheila Waybill Kauffman of Marion; nine grandchildren: Dawn Noska, Casey Conner, Jamie Waybill, Aaron Henderson, Aaron Courtney, Shane Waybill, Melanie Waybill, Summer Hagy, and Sam Elgin; and several great-grandchildren. Also surviving are three brothers: Jack (Linda) Waybill of Atkins, Iowa; Loyd “Mac” (Connie) Waybill of Willow Springs, Missouri; Donnie Joe (Janet) Waybill of Kirksville, Missouri; two sisters: Kathy (Max) Tipton of Newton; and Adryth (Robert) Wall of Waltham, Massachusetts.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers: Kenneth and Bill.
Memorials in Lowell’s name may be directed to the family.