Larry Coady age 80 of Ames, died Thursday at his home. A gathering of friends and family will be 2-5 p.m. with a remembrance service at 4:00 Sunday March 10, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care 414 Lincoln Way Ames with a 11:00 a.m. Monday March 11, Mass of Christian Burial at St. Cecilia Catholic Church 30th and Hoover in Ames.
Larry was born March 4, 1933 in Ottumwa, Iowa to Samuel and Josephine (Denefe) Coady. He graduated from Albia High School and attended Iowa State College briefly before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. He served in the Korean War for four years doing naval intelligence work in Japan. Upon his return Larry worked for a meat packing facility in Ottumwa, Ia. and TV station KTVO. He then returned to Iowa State College where he earned his bachelors' degree in electrical engineering in 1959 and then went to work for Collins Radio Co. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Larry then returned to Iowa State University where he earned his M.S. degree in 1963, followed by a PHD in 1965 all while raising a growing family.
Larry was united in marriage to Mary Anne Gannon on December 29th, 1956 in Albia, Iowa. They moved to Ames, Iowa and joined St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Larry served as an associate professor in Electrical engineering, retiring in 1992 after thirty years on the ISU faculty.
Along the way, Larry began to buy and manage student rental properties near the campus. His first large scale residential construction project was completed in 1997. He established Coady Enterprises, a family owned and operated rental property management company. In 2011, he broke ground on his second multi-unit complex, overseeing construction until its completion in July 2012.
His family and friends will most remember him for his engaging conversation, sense of humor and intelligence. He will be remembered for his tenacious desire to work hard to build a better life for his family and others. At heart, he was a teacher whom had a wealth of knowledge to share and took every opportunity to offer guidance to those lives he touched. His family will be forever blessed by his love, wise words of wisdom, and amazing generosity. Children, grandchildren and dear friends will forever cherish fond memories of water skiing, summer barbeques and July 4th fireworks enjoyed from the deck, of the lake home he built, in Clear Lake, Iowa.
He is survived by his wife Mary Anne Coady of Ames; a sister, Maurine Reis, of Burlington, Iowa; his ten children, Suzanne (Jim) Rock of Ames, Michelle (Susan Sullivan) Coady of Minneapolis, Daniel (Ann) Coady of Ankeny, Ia., Kayleen(Bob) Catus of Ames, Linda(Mark) Vanderpoel of Chicago, Sheila Coady of Ames, Sam Coady of Chicago, Ellen Coady of Ames, Amy (Tom) Courneya of Ames, Anne (Mark) Evans of St. Louis; sixteen grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents Samuel and Josephine Coady.
As a show of sympathy, the family would like to suggest that contributions be made in his name to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.
On line condolences may be directed to www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com