Obituary of Vernon P. Varner
Dr. Vernon Paul Varner, MD, JD, aged 77, of Iowa City, died at home in his sleep this past Monday, September 9, 2019, of natural causes, following an extended illness.
Dr. Varner is survived by his wife of 19 years, Lynda (Topp) Varner; by his son Morgan Varner; by his son Hayden Varner and his wife Emma (Dushin) Varner; and by his former wife, Mary (Jacobs) Varner. He also leaves behind his eldest sister Marilyn Krutsinger and her husband Don, his brother Bruce Varner and his wife Sue, his sister Ethel Lovell and her husband the Rev. Terry Lovell, his sister Lois Mallett and her husband Jerry, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his sister Cynthia Varner in 1951; by his father, the Rev. Emmanuel Varner in 1992; and by his mother, Viola (Anderson) Varner in 1999.
Vernon was born in Keokuk on September 7, 1942, grew up on his parents’ farm with his brothers and sisters, and graduated from Keokuk High School in 1960. After receiving his Associate of Arts from Southeastern Iowa Community College in Keokuk in 1963, he attended the University of Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in General Science (1965), pursued graduate studies in Reproductive Endocrinology (1965-66), and was granted both a Doctor of Medicine (1970) and a Juris Doctor (1976).
After becoming board-certified in psychiatry, in 1980 Dr. Varner founded a private practice in Iowa City, the Neuropsychiatric Clinic, where he practiced psychiatry until his retirement in 2008 while treating patients at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.
From the beginning, Vernon’s selfless ways and passion for social justice led him to a career that provided him with a constant drive, and mission, to make things right. His involvement and role as President of the Iowa chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility for thirteen years filled him with pride and even filled his shelf with a Nobel Peace Prize that was earned by a team of peers for their work on Nuclear Disarmament. He was also heavily invested in the allegations of misuse of pesticides and their harmful inert chemical ingredients. Even after his retirement from his medical practice, he found ways to continue being a helpful soul to those around him. He would always offer his opinion and knowledge to those who needed it, and in a comforting manner with his level head and calming voice.
A celebration of life service will be held at 2:30pm this Saturday, 9/14/2019, at Crossview Fellowship in Keokuk, Iowa (1807 High Street, Keokuk, Iowa 52632). In lieu of sending flowers, Vernon’s family asks that you make a donation to the Iowa chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility: http://psriowa.org/donations_single.html
