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Arthur McGiverin Obituary
Ottumwa - Judge Arthur Andrew McGiverin, 90, of Iowa City, formerly of Ottumwa, passed away at 2:04 p.m. June 2, 2019 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.
He was born November 10, 1928 in Iowa City to Joseph James and Mary Bernadette McGiverin. He married Mary Joan Kuntz on April 20, 1951 in Iowa City and she preceded him in death on July 9, 2013.
A 1946 graduate of McKinley High School in Cedar Rapids, he earned a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Iowa in 1951 and graduated from the University of Iowa Law School in 1956.
He practiced law from 1956 to 1965 with Barnes, Schlegel and McGiverin. He served as District Court Judge from 1965 to 1978, served on the Iowa Supreme Court from 1978 to 2000 and was Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court from 1987 to 2000.
Judge McGiverin was a member of St. Mary of the Visitation in Ottumwa, past President of the Board of Trustees of the Ottumwa Public Library, a member and past President of the National Conference of Chief Justices. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be a member of the State Justice Institute, serving from 1998 to 2000. He was also past President of the Board of the Civil War Round Table in Ottumwa.
Judge McGiverin was an avid golfer who enjoyed history and playing bridge.
Surviving are his children, Teresa McGiverin and her husband, Jack Klaus, of Kansas City, MO, Tom McGiverin of Ankeny, IA, Bruce McGiverin and his wife, Christine, of Cidra, Puerto Rico and Nancy Seaba and her husband, James, of Chicago, IL; three grandchildren, Sarah Seaba of Honolulu, HI, Sean McGiverin of Cidra, Puerto Rico and Loic McGiverin of Minneapolis, MN.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, LeVera Helen French, his brother, Paul Joseph McGiverin and his daughter-in-law, JoAnn Masterson.
Funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Friday, June 21, 2019 at St. Mary of the Visitation with Father James Betzen C.PP.S. presiding. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Ottumwa.
Visitation begins at 10 a.m. Thursday June 20, 2019 at Reece Funeral Home in Ottumwa. The family will be present to greet friends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a Christian Wake service held at 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to St. Mary of the Visitation or Ottumwa Public Library.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Arthur McGiverin
Sponsored by Reece Funeral Home.
1 Entry
Edward Mansfield
June 20, 2019
I am sorry that because of a medical appointment, I will be unable to attend Chief Justice McGiverin's funeral tomorrow, June 21. I did not get a chance to know Chief Justice McGiverin, but I still feel that I know him through the balanced, evenhanded, well-crafted opinions that he wrote. Chief Justice McGiverin's opinions were Athenian in their wisdom, and Spartan in their execution. I've relied on them, and so will many others who come after me.
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