Obituary of William G. McCreedy

William “Bill” George McCreedy (1928-2023) Born May 27, 1928 in Iowa City, Iowa, the son of Myral D and Mabel G (Godlove) McCreedy. Living in Iowa City his whole life, Bill graduated from Iowa City High School in 1946. Only a few months following his graduation he volunteered by enlisting in the US Army, serving from 1946-1948. After graduating prescribed training at Ft Knox, Kentucky, he was sent overseas and stationed in Osaka, Japan with the US Army of Occupation for all of 1947, serving with the famed 27th Infantry “Wolfhound” Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division. Upon leaving the service, Bill attended the University of Iowa setting out to finish a degree in Engineering. He also was employed as a carpenter off and on for many years with the family business, McCreedy Construction Company, thereby working on several projects such as the Iowa City Park swimming pool and the Iowa City Airport terminal building. Bill’s interests were varied. He maintained a lifelong interest in airplanes, boats and music. He became a licensed pilot after the war, logging many flight hours in his father’s single engine Stinson aircraft. His talent at carpentry led him to opening a small business in Iowa City, building custom handmade mahogany boats. He founded “Mac Craft Boat Company” in 1952, building mostly small sport type outboard runabouts, even entering several craft in the Chicago Boat Show of 1953, and receiving many write-ups in nationally published boating magazines. As a boy Bill learned to play the piano which inspired a lifelong love of music of all kinds. He eventually taught himself to play several instruments, primarily though enjoying his accomplishment at the piano, having one in his home for the rest of his life. Bill met his future wife while testing his boats in the Iowa River, meeting Joan Shalla who lived with her family in a home along the river near Butler Bridge on present day North Dubuque St. In 1955 Bill and Joan were married at the Little Brown Church in the Vale in Nashua, IA and raised a family starting with 5 children, and later blossoming into 5 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Over the course of his long and rich life, Bill worked at several professions. After building boats, he opened and spent 5 years maintaining an automotive repair business with a shop on Prentiss St in Iowa City, specializing in automotive electrical systems. He was a contractor and remodeler, building and remodeling several homes and businesses during the 1960’s throughout the Iowa City area. After several other smaller business ventures, he landed in 1972 at McGurk-Meyers Motors, an automotive dealership in Coralville. Employed as the new and used car manager, this would become the job he stayed with until his retirement many years later. Bill was known by friends and family as an honest, ambitious and hardworking man, who loved and was loved by many people. He enjoyed greatly raising his children and took an active role in the lives of his grandchildren, but when his kids grew up, he felt he wasn’t done and spent many years as an active member in the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, impacting many young lives in a positive and lasting way. Survivors include all 5 of his children; David (Cindy) McCreedy of Iowa City, John (Deb) McCreedy of San Diego, CA, Lucinda of Iowa City, Sarah of Crofton, Kentucky, and Joseph (Annie) of Iowa City, 5 grandchildren, Jesse, Ashley, Christopher, Cayla, Samantha and 3 great-grandchildren. Bill was preceded in death by his wife Joan, his parents Myral and Mabel McCreedy and brothers Richard and Charles McCreedy. Bill's family will receive guests at Gay and Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service (2720 Muscatine Ave., Iowa City) on Tuesday, February 14 from 4-7 pm. The family would like to thank the hardworking Doctors, Nurses and staff of both Mercy Hospital and Briarwood Health Care Center, both of Iowa City and Essence of Life Hospice from Amana, Iowa, for their kind, dedicated and professional care of Bill over the past many weeks. Memorial contributions for Bill are suggested to the Essence of Life Hospice.