Obituary of Alfred D. Grady

Al Grady age 76 of Iowa City, well known sports writer for the Iowa City Press Citizen, died on Monday, December 15, 2003 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 19, 2003 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City. Burial with Military Rites will be at the Sharon Hill Cemetery in Kalona. For those who will be attending the Mass the Sunday parking ordinance will be in effect for Dubuque, Jefferson and Linn Streets in Iowa City. Visitation will be on Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m. with a parish vigil service at 6:00 p.m. at Gay and Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given in Al’s name to Mercy Hospital in Iowa City or to the University of Iowa Men’s Athletics, memorial contributions may be sent to the University of Iowa Foundation at the Levitt Center P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, Iowa 52244-4550. Alfred Dean Grady was born on February 5, 1927 in Kalona, Iowa the son of Ivo and Ernestine (Dean) Grady. He graduated from Kalona High School, and the University of Iowa with a degree in Journalism. During WWII he served in the United States Navy. From 1951 until his retiment in 1987 he worked as the sports editor for the Iowa City Press Citizen where he twice received the Iowa Sports Writer of the Year Award. After his retirement he continued to write for the “Voice of the Hawkeyes”. Al loved his family including his many nieces and nephews. They will remember trips to Iowa football games, his punctuality, organizational skills and his great sense of humor. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City and a past president of the Iowa City Quarterback Club. His family includes two sisters: Mary C. Ashby of Marion and Gretchyn Swantz and special friend, Marv Kolosiek of Kalona, twelve nieces and nephews and their spouses: Shannon and Peggy Ashby of Cedar Rapids, Melanie and Bill Rapier of Plano, Texas, Andy Ashby of Cedar Rapids, Jerry and Tonda Ashby of Blairstown, Julie and Bill Hirschman of Gowanda, New York, Jamie and Sarah Ashby of Marion, Nancy and Eddie Green of Cedar Rapids, Tom Ashby of Marion, Kathy and Stan Konopka of Shagrin Falls, Ohio, Scott and Lois Swantz of Mount Vernon, Keverley Swantz of Kalona, Kris and Darin Hostetler of Tiffin, twenty eight great nieces and nephews along with many, many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers in-law, David Ashby and Jonas Swantz.