Gary V. Poorman

Gary V. Poorman, 73, of Davenport, died Monday, May 27, 2024 at his home surrounded by his family.  

Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial for Gary will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 31, 2024 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Davenport. Visitation will be held from 4 until 7 p.m. Thursday at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport with a rosary prayed at 4 p.m. to begin the visitation.  Cremation rites will take place following the Mass.  Memorials may be made to Genesis Hospice or Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation.

Gary Vernon Poorman was born on July 31, 1950 in Davenport, a son of Jesse Joseph and Arlene Edith (Spring) Poorman.  He was a 1968 graduate of West High School.  Gary was united in marriage to Mary E. Thompson on August 14, 1971 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. They have shared over almost 53 years of marriage and memories together. 

Gary worked for Central Construction to begin his career before starting at Iowa American Water Company where he worked for 36 years before retiring on January 1, 2016. He was a member of the Utility Workers Local 525 and served for a time as president.  Gary also owned and operated Poorman’s Backflow and Fire Hydrant Services.

Gary cherished his family, he was a wonderful husband, dad, and grandpa.  He coached his kids softball/baseball and soccer teams when they were younger and was a Boy Scout troop leader for Joe.  He also was a set designer/builder at Assumption High School for his kid’s plays and musicals. Gary enjoyed playing checkers with his grandchildren and watching them grow up to the young people they are today. The Poormans were long time parishioners of St. Paul the Apostle, where Gary served on the Parish Council.  They had a core group of friends they met at St. Paul’s that vacationed together in Wisconsin and more recently met at 4 p.m. on Friday’s at the Poorman house for a couple beers.

Gary was extremely handy with the ability to fix anything and took pride in teaching his kids that independence as well.  He was also the “truck guy” that when someone needed help moving something, he was always willing.

Camp Abe Lincoln played a large role in Gary’s life, it’s a place he was a camper as a young man, and later was in charge of maintenance and a driver in high school. He was affectionately known as Moose at Camp and that nicknamed stuck.

Gary enjoyed staying active, running over 40 Bix 7 road races. He was a great fan of the Chicago Cubs and Bears, as well as the Iowa Hawkeyes and Kansas Jayhawks.  He couldn’t stand the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but enjoyed celebrating the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

Those left to honor Gary’s memory are his wife, Mary, Davenport; son and daughter-in-law, Joe and Julie Poorman, Kansas City, Missouri and Katy Poorman, Chicago, Illinois; grandchildren: Abigail, Maxwell, and Daniel; a brother, Duane (Patricia) Poorman, Naples, Florida; sisters-in-law: Dixie Thompson, Centennial, Colorado, Rita Thompson, Davenport, and Barbara Thompson, Omaha, Nebraska; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Philean Poorman and LuAnn Tregoning.   May they rest in peace.