Gerald "Gary" Oliphant

Gerald Oliphant, 82, passed away at Every Step Kavangh House on March 17, 2023.

Gary grew up in the small town of Troy Mills, Iowa. He worked in his father’s filling station pumping gas, washing windshields, and repairing flat tires. He graduated from Troy Mills High School and enrolled at Iowa State University in engineering. He was a member of the Drum & Bugle Corp. He married having two children, Michael and Kathy.

His career included working at Square D in Cedar Rapids making electrical circuit parts while continuing his education at the University of Iowa where he obtained a BA degree. He worked at Turner Microphone and Burroughs selling office accounting systems. He became a sales rep for McNeill selling the new drug product Tylenol. He worked as a stockbroker during the recession of the eighties, then became the manager for a medical clinic in Osage. He moved to Des Moines to manage the Urology Clinic while going to Drake University to obtain his MBA and then moved to Sioux City where he was the Regional Manager of Medical Clinics. He returned to Des Moines and came to play duplicate bridge at the Bridge Center where he met Brenda as a partner. She soon became his favorite partner and they soon married.

Gary enjoyed fishing with his dad, his son and grandsons. He fished at Chetek Lakes in WI for several years. He won a fishing contest one year and took several trips with his friends to Canada.

Gary was an avid Hawkeye Fan and watched the games as an armchair coach. He enjoyed all sports including wrestling tournaments, basketball, football, hockey and golf. He could remember many player’s names and statistics. Gary was a resource for his friends who looked for his recommendations for good book titles and authors. He especially liked historical novels.

He would say “Off we go” and away we went on overseas trips by riverboats and tours including China, Russia, the British Isles and across the USA stopping many times at Civil War sites. Gary was extremely proud of his Scottish Oliphant Clan heritage with the Oliphant tartan plaid. When Gary retired, he became a volunteer at the small claims court, a hospital ambassador and a driver for the Free Store organization collecting used furniture donations for families starting over from abusive situations.
Gary felt he had a full life with many happy times and had no regrets.

Gary is survived by his wife of twenty-one years, Brenda; son, Michael Oliphant; daughter, Kathy (Scott) Quaas; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Celebration of life will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, March 24, 2023 at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines with a visitation one hour prior. Burial will take place on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. at Silver Lake Cemetery in Ayrshire, IA.

Memorials may be directed to the Free Store , and online condolences expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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