Richard A. Mays

Richard Allen (Lew) Mays died Oct. 22, 2015, at The Lutheran Homes, in Muscatine, Iowa.  He was 86 years old.   A private family celebration of life took place at Geo. M. Wittich-Lewis Homes for funeral and cremation services on Oct. 24, 2015.  Burial will take place at a later date at Lone Tree Cemetery, in Sioux Rapids, Iowa.

He was born on March 25, 1929, in Sioux Rapids.  He was baptized  there at the Methodist Church. He lived with and was raised by his grandparents, Lou and Ida Mays up until he left for college.  He attended Westmar College, in Lemars, Iowa, where he played football and baseball and also received his BA degree.  He then spent two years in the Marines where he attained the rank of a corporal.  He later attended North Dakota University during his summers and received his Master’s Degree in 1972.

Throughout his youth his grandfather taught him how to fish, hunt, and trap fur bearing animals.  He had a great appreciation for the outdoors, which he passed on to his children.  Since he loved to follow his Grandfather Lew everywhere he became known as “little Lew.”

He was united in marriage to Muriel Ver Hoeven in 1955 and after 23 years of marriage they parted on friendly terms.  To this union were born two children, Lance and Linda. Lew taught school and was the athletic coach in Washta, Iowa. He then moved to Royal, Iowa to teach and was the football and basketball coach for four years.  He later began teaching Social Studies and coached at Clear Lake, and eventually moved on and taught in the Social Science Dept. at the Mason City Jr. College for many years, which was renamed North Iowa Area Community College (N.I.A.C.C.).

Lew loved to go camping and on road trips all over the U.S., thus instilling the love of the great outdoors and U.S. History in his family. He also enjoyed fishing, trapping and hunting with his children.  He also loved to garden and raise roses, lots of them.

On Aug. 8, 1978 he was united in marriage to Shirley, in Milford, Iowa.  Together they enjoyed traveling, Canada fishing trips and spending their winters in Florida, and ultimately retired there prior to moving back to Muscatine.

Lew is survived by his son, Lance A. (Roxanne) Mays; daughter, Linda L. (David) Nuehring; stepdaughters, Susan (Larry) Duwa; Georgia (Duane) Eash; Teri Detrick; stepson, Michael (Judy) Chadek; grandchildren, Amanda Mays, Stefanie (Jorge) Reyes, Andrea Gibbs, Kailey Gibbs; great-grandchildren, Raquel, Sonia and Jorge; as well as several other grandchildren and great-grandchildren on Shirley’s side of the family.   

He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; his mother, Verna; his grandparents, Lou and Ida; his step son–in–law, Gene Detrik; and many aunts and uncles.

Geo. M. Wittich-Lewis Home for Funeral and Cremation Services was in charge of arrangements.