Jack Ashton Appleby

Jack Ashton Appleby, 91, of Waterloo, died Thursday, August 18, 2022, at Monticello Nursing and Rehab Center in Monticello.

Jack was born December 19, 1930, in Hopkinton, Iowa, son of Eugene and Edna Almond Appleby. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War while stationed at Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. He married Jean M. Leech on October 2, 1953, in Waterloo; she preceded him in death on January 9, 2016.

He worked at Rath Packing Company for 35 years where he was a union steward and crew leader on the loading dock. During his time at Rath, he was trained and certified by the Mental Health Institute as an industrial alcoholic counselor and attended seminars at the University of Utah for counseling. He was active in AA for over 60 years during which time he mentored countless people in their quests for sobriety.

After Rath closed in 1985, he owned and operated J & M Lawn and Snow Service for many years. Jack was a member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church where he served on the board of properties. In his retirement, he volunteered at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank because he couldn't stand knowing there were children in his community who were going hungry.

For many years, he and his family enjoyed their cabin on Four Point Lake near Hackensack, Minnesota. Jack loved to fish, and he passed that love on to his children and grandchildren. He had many friends and met regularly with "the guys" at Jeorgi's. He was extremely social and always made it a point to drive around Waterloo and pay his bills in person – he needed to see people and he liked to handle business face-to-face.

Growing up without a lot of support or guidance, he quit school in the 8th grade to begin working on farms in the area. He worked hard all his life and loved to tell people he didn't technically retire until he was 75 years old. In his later years he enjoyed reading Louis Lamour and other similar western stories because he liked to read about the 'cowboys'.

Jack is survived by his three children, Jonathan J. (Janet) Appleby of Lake Wylie, SC; Mark W. (Betty) Appleby of N. Fort Myers, FL; and Meredith M. (Marty) Anderson of Hudson; four grandchildren, Katie (Joe) Schuhow, Ashton Appleby, Carter, and Ross Anderson, along with three great-grandchildren, Dori, Drew, and CJ Schuhow.

He was preceded in death by his parents and wife; an infant daughter, Malissa Joy; a grandson, Aaron Appleby; and two brothers, Eugene, and Joseph Appleby.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, September 9, at Locke at Tower Park. Memorial service at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 10, at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church with burial at Garden of Memories Cemetery, both in Waterloo. Military honors will be conducted by Waterloo American Legion Post #138, Waterloo VFW Post #1623, and Iowa Army National Guard Funeral Honor Guard. Memorials may be directed to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

Condolences may be left at www.LockeFuneralServices.com. Locke at Tower Park is assisting the family. Locke at Tower Park, 4140 Kimball Avenue, Waterloo, 319-233-3146.