Obituary of Mary Alice Mixdorf

Mary Alice Mixdorf, age 89, passed away peacefully with family by her side on Sunday, April 27th 2025 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Born April 10, 1936 in Stuart, Iowa Mary spent most of her youth growing up in Tama County.  She graduated from Geneseo Consolidated School in 1954. She briefly attended Iowa State University and graduated from Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) in 1958 with a teaching degree in Home Economics. 

While at Iowa State Teachers college she worked on Dwight D. Eisenhowers campaign as an “IKE girl” and met the president of the Young Republicans while working on a float for a parade.  She became best friends with Gordon Mixdorf, married him right after college and they both became teachers in their respective fields for their entire careers, most of it in Iowa City.  Countless students were influenced by this dynamic pair of teachers ….one of the first married couples to be allowed to teach in the same school in Iowa City.

Mary had a passion for teaching middle school students and frequently remarked that she loved that age of student to teach…in her 40 year teaching career she taught at the junior high level and taught teens in Tripoli, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa school districts essential life skills that they could carry with them all their lives.  Whether it was sewing on a button, ironing a shirt, balancing a check book, setting a table (always complete with a centerpiece) or cooking a meal (or an Orange Julius) she helped develop a curriculum that allowed students to set goals and move at their pace through various skills to find success. Never wanting students to get frustrated over failure she would return home every night with a bin of sewing projects to pick apart errors so students could start fresh the next day and move on without wasting time.

Sewing was a passion of Marys through out her life. She took part in 4H as a youth, designed and sewed her own wedding dress as her senior project in college, sewed her own and her children’s clothes, made crib sheets for the University of Iowa NICU, and quilts for domestic violence victims. In retirement she focussed on her quilt making and gifted each of her grandchildren their own quilt upon high school graduation.  During Covid she helped organize a group of Mask Makers at Oaknoll retirement community and they created over 3500 masks for the sheriffs department, UI Hospital services, Oaknoll staff and many others.

Mary was active at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church and loved her St. Andrew community. Always quick to volunteer and serve she did everything from serve as church Deacon to cooking up and serving mass quantities of soup for Souper Bowl Sunday to participating in Sewing for Others. She always had her hands in activities at church and was happy to pitch in where needed. Once she moved to Oaknoll it became more difficult to volunteer but she had a wonderful group of friends from St. Andrew and kept up with her St. Andrew bridge group. It was an especially important part of her life.

Mary was also passionate about travel. When her children were young the family always took long trips by car and motor home travelling the country.  When the empty nest came she and Gordon took trips with their best friends, Pat and Bob. Later in life she found cruises to be the best way to travel with Gordon as he became disabled. She travelled the world and was always planning her next trip.

Mary moved to Oaknoll retirement in 2017 after Gordon passed away and found new life in the community there. A lifelong bridge player she took part in several bridge groups as well as playing Hand in Food and Mexican Train. She loved her games. One of Mary’s favorite places at Oaknoll was the Pub. She spent much time there playing games, watching away Hawkeye games and socializing. She had great friends and especially enjoyed her martinis which as teacher she was sure to teach the bartender how to make them just right.

Another constant in Mary’s life was the Iowa Hawkeyes. A season ticket holder for football, mens basketball and women’s basketball for decades. She loved to tailgate football games with friends both in the parking lot at Kinnick and a few times a year traveling to away games.  She attended bowl games and a women’s basketball final four. She embraced women’s basketball long before the Caitlin Clark area and was an avid supporter. Mary was a fixture in her seat on the floor next to the paramedic stand for mens and women’s basketball games and honored for being a longtime season ticket holder.  Her closet was full of Hawkeye apparel and calendar full of Iowa sports events. 

Mary should be remembered for her infectious laughter and zest for life.  She truly lived life to the fullest and embraced all opportunities to teach, help, travel, celebrate, cheer on the Hawkeyes and laugh. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Margaret; Her siblings, Robert and Sara; and her loving husband, Gordon.

She is survived by her children: Jeff (Jen) of Seattle, Washington, Erin (Greg) of Arlington, Virginia and Greg of Iowa City, Iowa. She was a loving grandmother to Zach, Nathan, Myra, Justin, Ayla and Christopher and GiGi (great great grandmother) to Aria and Emerie.

Her Celebration of Life will take place later this year in the Fall. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in Mary’s memory to Iowa City Hospice, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church of Iowa City or Oaknoll retirement.