Jack E. Gorman, 87
Jack E. Gorman age 87 of New Hampton, IA, died Saturday, December 1, 2018, at New Hampton Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, December 6, 2018, at Holy Family Parish, New Hampton with Rev. Brian Dellaert celebrating the Mass. Interment will be at a later date. His six children will serve as pallbearers and the New Hampton Lions Club will be honorary pallbearers.
Friends may greet the family 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Hugeback - Johnson Funeral Home in New Hampton where there will be a 6:30 p.m. parish scripture service. Visitation continues an hour prior to the Mass at the church on Thursday. Online condolences for Jack's family may be left at hugebackfuneralhome.com
If so desired, memorials may be made to the Family of Jack Gorman - c/o Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home 101 W. Main St. PO Box 150, New Hampton, IA 50659
Jack Everett Gorman was born January 24, 1931, the son of Frank and Velora (Keegan) Gorman. He attended country school and was a 1948 graduate of the New Hampton High School. Despite this formal education, Jack would say he went to ‘the school of hard knocks’. Jack served in the United States Navy from January 1949 - January 1950 and was honorably discharged. He then came back to New Hampton and met the love of his life, Betty Denner. The couple was married on June 25, 1955 at St. Joseph Catholic Church and to this union six children were born. Jack began working as a plumber for Barnett and Markle and in 1957 began a partnership owning and operating S & S Firestone. In 1985 he moved to Hanson Tire retiring in 2002. In his retirement he helped as an assistant and driver for the Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home.
Jack spent a large portion of his life dedicated to service and helping others make New Hampton a better place to live. Jack didn’t just participate in an endeavor, he would ‘take the bulls by the horns’ and get things done. He was a 50 year member of the New Hampton Lion’s Club where he served in numerous positions, the New Hampton Park and Rec. Board, the City Board of Adjustments, was Assistant Fire Chief to longtime Chief, Pete Willadsen, a long time member and committee chair at the New Hampton Golf and Country Club, a life-long member of Holy Family Parish serving in many capacities and a long time member and Board Member of the New Hampton High School Booster Club.
He and Betty were the named the first, “Parents of the Year” by the support given to the University of Northern Iowa. The couple also bowled for many years and Jack served as secretary. In the last years, Jack became active with the New Hampton Community Players having a role in every performance and adding his own unique twist to his parts. Every summer since 1967, he treated his family to a fishing trip at Leech Lake, MN. Each year his entire family was invited and based on the schedules of all his children and grandchildren, the event just got bigger and bigger. He will be dearly missed by his family and those who knew him.
Jack is survived by his wife of 63 years, Betty; three daughters, Barb Gorman (Jeff Spreen) of Black Earth, WI, Bev (Troy) Coody of Longmont, CO and Karen (Rick) Clemens of New Hampton; three sons, Tom (Lisa) Gorman of Rosemount, MN; Mike Gorman, Jim (Janet) Gorman all of New Hampton; nineteen grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; one brother, Merle (Dolly) Gorman of New Hampton; two sisters, Mary (Dave) Sweet of Decorah and Joan Gorman Porche of Olympia Fields, IL.
He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Gene Gorman, Morley & Patsy Gorman in infancy; one sister, Nancy Eaton.
