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Obituary for Jeffrey Craig Pease
Jeffrey Craig Pease, 60, of Stuart, Iowa passed away August 22, 2017 at his home. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 P.M. Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the West Central Valley High School in Stuart. A Funeral Celebration will be held 2:00 P.M. Sunday, August 27 at West Central Valley High School. Burial will follow the service in South Oak Grove Cemetery in Stuart. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jeff Pease Memorial Fund and may be sent in care of Johnson Family Funeral Home, PO Box 246, Stuart Iowa 50250. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com. (Professional Arrangements: Johnson Family Funeral Home – Stuart Chapel).
Jeffrey Craig Pease was born August 30, 1956, to Raymund and Joanne (Huntine) Pease. He was born in Fort Wayne Indiana where he spent his growing years, graduating from Homestead High School in 1974.
Jeff was taught at an early age the importance of family, friends, loyalty, dedication, and hard work. He knew the importance of education (although he would admit to not being the best student!) and developed a passion for playing sports, especially football. His high school football coach, Bob Wiant, was an important person in Jeff’s life. He still spoke to him often, and enjoyed visits from him as he passed through Stuart on his way to hunting trips in Wyoming.
Jeff attended Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska where he graduated in 1979. While at Peru he was a member of the Bobcat football team playing the game he loved. After graduating Jeff took a position as the Physical Education teacher and coach at Irwin-Kirkman. There he taught and coached high school football, high school baseball, and junior high basketball for eight years. While in Irwin he learned from his mentor and friend Gary McElmuray. Gary not only mentored him as a teacher and coach, but also introduced him to something else that became Jeff’s passion – deer hunting!
On June 12, 1982, Jeff was united in marriage to Mary (Cotton) Pease. Jeff and Mary made their first home together in Irwin where they made friendships with people who are still an important part of their lives today. While in Irwin, their first son, Tyler James, was born on October 20, 1985. Jeff liked to tell the story that Tyler was born during the Baseball World Series with George Brett up to bat for the Kansas City Royals, and he and the doctor sometimes got a little bit more into watching the game than maybe they should have!
Jeff and Mary left Irwin in 1987 and moved to Stuart, Iowa where Jeff took a job as the Physical Education teacher and coach in the Stuart-Menlo and West Central Valley Schools. Besides his teaching position he coached football, basketball, and track. It was a proud day for Jeff when he and his fellow teachers walked through the doors of the newly built high school. The gym was his domain and this new one was a little piece of heaven, having no steps from there to his office!! One part of teaching that Jeff prided himself in was all of his students learned CPR during their four years of high school. His students were his “kids” and he worked hard to install in them a sense of pride in themselves, their school, and their community. He loved to laugh with them, share stories, and daily crossword puzzles. But most important of all was to teach them a love of learning and to help them be the best they could be.
Here Jeff and Mary have made a home for themselves and their sons Tyler and Tanner Michael, who was born on February 16, 1991. There was no man prouder of his sons than Jeff. He loved every minute of time spent with them. Being able to coach them in football was something very important to Jeff. Taking them hunting for the first time was a treasured moment. Watching them graduate from high school and college were banner days. Seeing them play football in college – priceless! Being able to watch them, and to help them to grow into the young men they are today was his proudest achievement.
Jeff became involved in the community, joining the Stuart Rescue Unit where he was a volunteer member for over 30 years. It was here he added more people to his “extended family” making many lifelong friendships through his work in EMS. He spent many years dedicated to helping the people of Stuart and surrounding communities. Jeff was an active member of the West Central Valley Booster Club. He worked through the Booster Club to do all he could to benefit the athletes of WCV.
Jeff enjoyed riding his bike. He and friends rode RAGBRAI for a number of years. Hunting and fishing were his love. The past 15 years he and his family spent a week in Minnesota with first, the Gary Wolfe family, and most recently, the Bruce Miller family. He loved the fishing, but more importantly enjoyed the good times spent with good friends. He also developed close ties with their “Minnesota Friends” and their families. His hunting group is a bunch that Jeff loved dearly. The times spent with them and the memories they made he treasured. Oh, the stories they tell!!!
Jeff was preceded in death by his parents, Raymund and Joanne Pease, sister Melinda Pease, and mother-in-law Margaret Cotton.
Left to honor his life are his wife and best friend, Mary; sons, Tyler (Colby), and Tanner (Jody); brother, Greg (Alex) Pease; sisters, Andrea (Larry) Lewis, Sylvia (Rich) Beck, Tammy (Jeff) Price; brother, Brad (Robin) Pease; father-in-law, Jim Cotton; brother-in-law, Mike Cotton; nieces and nephews, and many many friends.
