John G. South

John Gilbert (gommadidle) South, 69, went home to the loving arms of Jesus Monday, November 15, 2010. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa to Earl and Hazel South on March 10, 1941. He worked for the Iowa Commission of the Blind where he was a maintenance engineer for 33 years and where he had many friends. He married Becky Hastie on May 31, 1975. They had 35 wonderful and blessed years together. He was a very devoted and awesome father. A mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, November 19, at Christ the King Catholic Church on SW 9th Street, and a visitation Thursday, November 18, at Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home, where the family will greet friends from 5 to 8 p.m. with a vigil prayer service at 7 p.m.

John loved playing baseball and helped teach most of his nephews and nieces to learn how to play the game, among other things. He loved his family and friends more than anything. His favorite things to watch on TV were westerns, anything with John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, and yelling at Chicago and Iowa Cubs, Iowa Hawkeyes, Lincoln Rails with his brother Bob and daughter Mary Beth when he could get her to go. Also he never missed the Iowa State Fair with Mary. It is a tradition which will live on for Mary even though it won’t be the same without him. He also loved yelling and getting into trouble with his dog Auggie. Auggie will miss his doggie daddy. John joined the Catholic Church Easter of 2008 and was very happy to do so. He thought the world of his priest, Monsignor Bognanno and Deacon Larry and Susan Kehoe, Deacon Chuck and Kay Putbrese and in the last few years kept the prayer line at Christ the King hopping with his various illnesses. Thank you for all the prayers CTK!!! He had many, many friends whom he considered family and loved his many nieces (great nieces) and nephews (great nephews) like they were his own kids. He was preceded in death by his parents Earl and Hazel South; brother Richard (Jean) South; sisters Arlene Richardson, Roberta (Bert) Anderson, Jeannette Whitney, and Rose Gwyin; mother-in-law Mary Ellen Hastie; brothers-in-law Phillip, John and Rossie Hastie; nieces Judy Johnson and Vicky Whitney and nephews Ronnie and Russ Whitney.

He is lovingly survived by his wife Becky; daughters Mary Beth South, Tina Jelinek, and Ronalda (John) Bentley; brother Robert (Bob) South; brother-in-law Jimmie (Scheryl) Hastie; sister Margaret (Peggy) James and sisters-in-law Margaret Hastie, Elizabeth Robbins, MaryLu(Edwin) Wignal.

www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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