GARY LEE SHIELDS

    Gary Lee Shields, 69, of  Marion died Wednesday, November 13, 2013, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He was in palliative care at Unity Point (Saint Luke’s) and UIHC. Memorial service was held at 11 a.m. on Monday at the Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories. Rev. Emory Gillespie and Rev. Ed Shields officiated. Inurnment was in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
    Survivors include his wife, DeAnn; a son, Todd (Alisa) of North Liberty, Iowa; two grandchildren, Zachary and Ethan; a sister, Mary Lou Goetz of Norwalk, Iowa; a brother, Jerry (Norma) of Mount Ayr, Iowa, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Craig; his parents, and a brother-in-law, Benny Goetz.
    Gary was born on April 12, 1944, the son of Victor and Vernice Shields at Mount Ayr. He was united in marriage to Judith DeAnn Shields on June 2, 1968 at the First Christian Church in Lathrop, Missouri.
    He grew up in Mount Ayr and attended Mount Ayr high school. He received his bachelor of science in biology from Northwest Missouri State College in Maryville, Missouri and his master’s degree in biology at the University of Northern Iowa in 1971. He taught high school biology at North Tama high school, Traer, and enjoyed 26 years as a biology professor at Kirkwood Community College. He was recognized by Kirkwood for excellence and attainment in education for his long career and caring approach to his teaching work.
    Gary describes his greatest satisfaction in teaching as, “seeing improvement in attitudes about studying science. Many students do not know their best work, as they have never done it before. It is rewarding to have students say things like, ‘I have never understood this before or I’m accomplishing something’.”
    Gary enjoyed his grandsons, gardening, reading, traveling, cooking, nature photography, hiking and biking.
    A memorial fund has been established. Please leave a message or tribute to the Shields family on their web page, www.cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.