Donald J. Peck

Donald Joseph “Don” Peck, 90, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on November 8, 2023.

A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating his life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, November 13, 2023 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in East Pleasant Plain, Iowa. Burial with military honors will be at the St. Joseph’s Church Cemetery. Visitation will be 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Sunday, November 12^th at Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield. An additional visitation will be 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass on Monday at the church. Memorial contributions can be directed to St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Don was born on December 22, 1932, the youngest of two children born to Myra (Kurtz) and Walter Peck of Pleasant Plain, Iowa. Don attended rural schools and graduated from Pleasant Plain High School in 1951. After high school Don stayed at home to help manage the family farm.  On August 1, 1953, Don married Dolores Supalla, his high school sweetheart. They made their home in Fairfield until Don was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1953 where he served two years. After basic training in Arkansas, they made their home on the military base in Texas. It was a union that gave them six children, eleven grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, five step-grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

After his service they purchased his grandparents Adam and Mary Peck’s farm where he had fond memories of his childhood years. The farm made the list of Century Farms in 2020, due to the pandemic, he received this award at the 2021 Iowa State Fair alongside his family. Don volunteered for many years driving the tractor pulled trolly at the state fair and enjoyed meeting different people.

          Don was proud to be a part of Little League Baseball and coached his son’s teams for many years. In his later years Don enjoyed meeting his friends on Friday evening to play Snooker at the Eagles in Fairfield. He made efforts to keep the Fairfield Eagles open including hosting a band. When that Order closed, he transferred his membership to the Ottumwa Order where he continued to attend dances every Saturday night up to his death. Don was also a member of several other organizations throughout his lifetime, several being a member of the Cattlemen’s Association and the VFW.

He will be remembered as a man who worked hard for everything he had, a great dancer one that lived his life exactly the way he wanted, even if it wasn’t always at the approval of his family. He enjoyed farming and made it his life mission; it kept him physically fit and in good health. He was the first to offer his opinion to his children, their spouses and friends if he thought they needed to lose a few pounds or refrain from inhaling cigarettes.

Don was the dad and grandpa of Greg (Rosemary), Melissa (Seth VanSickel), Adam (Kassi), Jared (Kirsten); Karol (Greg Mauk), Steven (Kristin), and Renae; Marc (significant other Kathy Kleywegt), Nathan Fishback, Dustin, Devin and Caleb; Steve (significant other Barbara Adam); Scott (Michele), Mitchell, Miles (Haley) and Gena Peck Hodges. In addition, he had six step-grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one on the way.

In addition, he leaves a brother-in-law Dick Supalla (significant other, Helen Twohig Zienkievicz); nieces, Laura (Jon Gilchrist), Julie (Dave Robaska), Lisa Maria Peck; and step-niece, Debbie Henderson; nephews, Brian Supalla, Michael Peck; and step nephew, John Henderson, plus many cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Larry and sister-in-law Ana Peck; brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Sheryl Supalla; and step-grandson, Derek Hodges.

He will be greatly missed by his family and fur baby he referred to as Linny a/k/a Lenny.

The family would like to thank all the services that contributed to Don’s care, especially the Jefferson County Health Center and the University of Iowa Hospitals and family and friends for the support during this difficult time.