Gary Lee DeWall, age 69, of Scranton, IA, passed away on Friday, February 10, 2023 at his home in Scranton with his wife at his side.
Funeral service will be held at 2:30 P.M. on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at the United Methodist Church in Scranton with Rev. Bobbi Maltas officiating. Casket bearers will be Dan Josephson, Jeff Falkena, Chase Murphy, Chris Murphy, Zachary Murphy, Keri Taylor, and Ryan Murphy. Burial will be in the Scranton Township Cemetery.
Visitation will be held at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Scranton from 5 – 7 P.M. on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. The casket will be moved to the Scranton United Methodist Church at 1:30 P.M. on Wednesday where visitation will resume until 2:15 P.M.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Scranton and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com
Gary was born May 7, 1953 in Spencer, lA, to Leonard “Curly” Lee and Maurine Ursula (Roberts) DeWall, he was the fifth of seven children. Gary spent his childhood in Spencer, Remsen, Hartley, and Royal, IA. He was part of the family band, “Curly’s Combo” that regularly played in bars around northwest lowa in the 60’s. He was a talented guitarist and vocalist, and he made a living for many years as a one-man band. Gary was an avid Minnesota Vikings fan, collecting much memorabilia throughout his lifetime and was able to attend a game in Minneapolis. Every year when football season began he would say “the Vikings are going to the Super Bowl” but unfortunately they disappointed him every year.
On September 1, 1990 Gary was united in marriage to Pam Falkena in Ida Grove, IA. Together they raised three children, Ryan, Chris, and Keri. Gary obtained his GED in South Dakota and at the age of 17 joined the Marine Corps, stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. Gary worked as a welder for many years, and at the age of 51 he attended lowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge and obtained an Associate in Applied Science degree in Computer Networking Technology. From this education, he became the “Computer Doctor” and spent many years operating a successful computer repair business in the area. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and making them laugh and was never without a witty comment. You knew you were his friend if he told you exactly what he thought or would give you a hard time. He also loved camping and fishing and enjoyed it when the grandkids could accompany him. Pets were a big part of his life and every one of them was spoiled rotten. He will be especially missed by Niko and Casey. Gary also enjoyed Area 51 and spent many hours researching it. His daughter and family visited Roswell, NM and gifted him with souvenirs which he was thrilled with.
Gary’s memory will be treasured by Pam, his wife of 32 years; his children Ryan Murphy of Rockwell City, Chris (Angela) Murphy of Jefferson, and Keri (Chris) Taylor of Lake Havasu City, AZ. He will be missed by his seven grandsons: Zach Murphy; Brenden and Korben Taylor; and Chase, Nolan, Milo, and Griffin Murphy. Gary is also survived by his siblings Daniel “Boone” (Deanna) DeWall of Des Moines and Susie (Dean) Pierce of Argyle, TX, and JoAnn Leth of Hartley; his in-laws Jeff (Deb) Falkena of Albert City, Kathy (Dan) Josephson of Albert City, and Deb (Steve) Russell of Cambridge; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Gary was preceded in death by this parents Leonard (Curly) and Maurine; brothers Terry and Dennie; and brother-in-law Denny Leth.
