Joseph E. Kastner

Joseph E. Kastner, age 92, of Davenport, passed away Sunday evening, April 7, 2024. A Memorial Mass will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, Davenport. The family will greet friends from 12:00 noon until the time of service. Luncheon will be provided after the service. Burial will be at a later date in Violet Hill Cemetery in Perry, Iowa.

 Joe was born December 5, 1931, on the family farm southwest of Yale, Iowa, the youngest son of Austrian immigrants Frank and Emily (Biederman) Kastner. He attended Panora High School where he was Class President and Captain of the football team. After graduation Joe continued working on the family farm until enlisting in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean war and was stationed in Greenland with friend David Fish. During their service David and Joe met twin sisters Joann and Janice Allison at Offutt Air Force Base. 

 After completing his military service, Joe and Jan married in 1956 and moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where he attended Iowa State University and obtained his degree in Architectural Engineering. After graduation, the family moved to Davenport in 1961, where Joe and Jan designed and built a new home on evenings and weekends, with two toddlers in tow. Joe was employed by Kingscott & Associates designing schools and commercial projects for which he received several architectural design awards. When Kingscott & Associates closed their Davenport office in 1975, he went to work for Priester Construction as an architect and project manager where he remained working into his mid 70s.

 Joe had the ability to repair or fix just about anything. He restored and enjoyed working on a1940 Ford pickup,1966 Mustang convertible, and his pristine 1999 Mustang GT convertible. He enjoyed following auto racing, including attending NASCAR racing events with his boys, and at age 82 drove hot laps in a Cup car at the Chicago Speedway. He was an avid sports fan, especially anything related to the Iowa State Cyclones.

 Joe was a founding member and chairman of the building committee for Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church.  His faith, family, and friends were at the heart of everything he did.   He was a constant inspiration to us all.

 Survivors include a daughter, Julie Kastner; sons, Michael (Nadine) Kastner, and Paul (Michelle) Kastner; grandchildren, Joe, Ian, Emily, and Lerin.

 Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Janice; and siblings, Alfred, Carl, Paul (infant), Ernest, Helen, Francis, and Herman.