Memorial
John (Mick) Thirnbeck, 90, of Cedar Rapids died Friday, October 20th, 2017 at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House in Hiawatha. John Wilson Baptiste Thirnbeck was born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada on December 30, 1926. He married Barbara Jean Westran on February 10, 1948.
A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 26th, 2017 at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service, beginning at 2:00 p.m., at the chapel. Entombment will follow in the Cedar Memorial Park Mausoleum.
Mick left school in tenth grade to become an apprentice of tool design. He later joined the Royal Canadian Navy and served three years during WW2. Upon his return Mick completed his apprenticeship and became a full-fledged tool designer.
His first ten years he worked for Canadian General Electric Company that employed 5000 people. He left GE and worked for Outboard Marine Corporation in Peterborough. Upon reading the Toronto Star newspaper he noticed an ad for tool designers at the Square D Company in Cedar Rapids. In 1963 he accepted the job at Square D and moved his family from Canada to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he resided ever since. Mick retired from Square D in 1989.
Mick loved big band music, playing pool with his Keystone buddies (the Rat Pack), going to the Iowa football games, hosting Sigma Chi parties for his son Greg, traveling to California to spend time with his son Jeff and family, and traveling the world with his wife Barbara. Some of his best friends in life he met while serving in the Canadian Navy but above all, Mick loved spending time with his grandchildren.
He is survived by his two sons, Gregory (Lisa) and Jeffrey Thirnbeck; grandchildren, Casey (Ben) Scott, Jeffrey James Thirnbeck, Parker Riley Thirnbeck, Tyler Gregory Thirnbeck and Caitlin Kyle Thirnbeck; five great grandchildren, Bradley Allen Scott, Justin Ian Scott, Madalynn Gail Scott, Preston James Wheeler and Luna Ray Archuletta; a brother, Charles (Doreen) Thirnbeck, and sister in law Helene Pratt Koval.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Barbara (Westran) Thirnbeck on July 31st, 2005. He was also preceded in death by his son Stephen Mark and his parents, Charles and Alberta Thirnbeck.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy.