Memorial
John Anderson Maxwell, age 83, passed away on July 6, 2023. John was born on February 27, 1940 in Cedar Rapids, IA, to Thomas James Maxwell and Mary Meek Maxwell. He was a bit of a miracle baby for his older parents who spoiled him accordingly. Growing up in Shellsburg, John ate at his uncle’s restaurant after school and helped at his father’s farm and hardware store. The store offered everything from jewelry and china to hardware and sporting goods, so John had the best toys, which he was always willing to share with his dear friend Bill across the street.
John got his first car at age thirteen, began flying planes at fourteen, and flew his first solo flight at sixteen. His family wintered in AZ, with his father flying out across the Rocky Mountains in his tiny plane. When asked by his children if changing schools every year was difficult, John replied, “Not at all – I had twice as many friends and finished a year early.” John graduated from Shellsburg High School in 1957, after which he flew a mail route and did crop dusting.
In 1961, John enlisted in the Air Force at the urging of his elder brother Lawrence, who was a WWII pilot and gunner. His time in the service was spent doing thousands of pushups and being chief of the honor barracks, which had to be kept to the highest standard for inspection of visiting top officers. This role was ideally suited to his well-known perfectionism. John also recalled sneaking into his commander’s office to watch one of the first space travel missions, and (surprisingly) not getting reprimanded. John was mobilized for the Cuban Missile Crisis but thankfully did not deploy. He continued his service in the Air Force Reserve.
While in the military, he trained in communications systems. He was then hired by Northwestern Bell, where he began his career as a lineman, then worked on teletypes and telephone communication systems. It was during this time that he met Barbara Peterson at a local party. She was convinced to attend by a friend who would not accept “no” for an answer. In an effort to get her attention, he tossed a pillow in her direction; his strategy worked. A year and a half later, he proposed with a ring purchased from his father’s store.
John was discharged from the Air Force in 1964, and he and Barbara were married on December 6 of that year. The couple first lived in a home in Shellsburg on what is now the golf course; then bought a house in Fairfax, where their children Sean and Jennifer were born; then built a new house in rural Cedar Rapids, where John personally designed the ultimate garage in which to work on his expanding car collection. This was a beautiful place to raise a family, with sledding down the hill and ice skating on the pond in winter, and even buffalo in the yard on one occasion.
John was transferred to AT&T and later retired after thirty years as a communications engineer. He then worked for his friend and neighbor caring for his estate, where his duties ranged from raising trumpeter swans for the Department of Natural Resources to piloting a yacht on a terrifying journey down the Mississippi River. John and Barb began wintering down South once both children were away at college, enjoying the warmth of Florida, Texas, and Arizona. They loved to travel the USA as well as Europe and the UK, most memorably Scotland.
John had a lifelong interest in cars, restoring many gorgeous antique automobiles from a Model A to Corvettes, antique tractors, and even his favorite fire chief pedal car toy from childhood. The most beloved of his restorations is a 1917 Maxwell touring sedan, which he spent a decade bringing to perfection. He competed with the car on the Antique Automobile Club of America show circuit, achieving a first prize at the national junior and senior level, and finally a second prize at the grand national level. The Maxwell was on exhibit at a museum for many years before returning home to John’s garage.
John enjoyed anything with wheels, including riding his bike and motorcycles, Jeep tours in the mountains out West with his Wrangler Rubicon, and even a day at a racetrack with his son in a Dodge Viper. He also volunteered at St. Luke’s hospital for ten years. Recently, John and Barb bought a lovely home around the corner from their son Sean in Marion. Though John’s cancer journey came to an end, he faced every turn with positivity and was a favorite of the medical staff at the University of Iowa Hospitals, always expressing extreme gratitude for their care.
John is survived by his wife, Barbara, and their children Sean Maxwell (Gloria) of Marion, IA and Jennifer Maxwell of New Bedford, MA. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, as well as his brothers James and Lawrence Maxwell and sister Genevieve England.
A memorial contribution may be sent to the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Center Research Fund, in Honor of John A. Maxwell: https://donate.givetoiowa.org/s/1773/foundation/interior.aspx?sid=1773&gid=2&pgid=499&cid=1232&appealcode=GFWEB.
A livestream of the funeral service may be accessed on the funeral home website under the obituary for John, under the video tab starting at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 13, 2023.