Gary George Fell

Gary George Fell, 85, of West Burlington, passed away on Monday, March 16, 2026, at the University of Iowa Hospital. He was surrounded by his loving wife and children at the time of his passing.

Gary was a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served as an armament's specialist. While stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines and Ton Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam, he loaded munitions onto F-102 Delta Daggers and F-100 Super Sabre fighter planes. His dedicated service included repeated exposure to Agent Orange, which ultimately led to the pulmonary fibrosis that took his life

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20 at Lunning Funeral Chapel.

The Funeral Service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 21 at Saints Mary and Patrick's Catholic Church of Divine Mercy Parish. Burial will follow directly at St. Mary's Cemetery, West Burlington. Full military honors will be accorded and rendered by the Burlington Area Veterans Honor Guard. A luncheon will then be held at the Divine Mercy Parish Hall.

Born in Atlantic, Iowa, on September 30, 1940, to George and Sylvia (Thoms) Fell, Gary was raised in Walnut, Iowa. He developed a strong work ethic at a very early age while assisting his father with the family corn shelling business.

Gary had a lifelong passion for all things mechanical. He graduated from Walnut High School alongside a group of friends who shared his interest in building and driving fast cars. During this time, he proudly drove a flat black 1954 Ford two-door with straight pipes, which he named the "Black Sheep," complete with a matching ceramic figurine on the dashboard.

Gary met the love of his life in 1959 and was united in marriage with Dianne Louise Heesch on February 18, 1962, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Avoca, Iowa. Married for 64 years, she was his soulmate and best friend every day of his life.

A voracious reader, Gary had an unquenchable love for all things historical. He and Dianne visited all 99 Iowa county seats and stopped at a local diner near each one for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie. Together, they traveled to every U.S. state except for Arizona, Utah, and Hawaii. Their travels also took them to Europe on multiple occasions, where they explored Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and Italy.

But their most memorable trip was to England. After extensive research and much planning, they found Gary's ancestral home called "Longlands," where his direct ancestor, twelve generations before him, lived in 1705 before coming to America.

Gary attended Southeast Iowa Community College and graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. He served as a Park Ranger for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources until his retirement in 1999. Notably, he spent 29 years as the Ranger at Geode State Park, a place he and his family took immense pride in and considered the entire park "their home." Gary absolutely loved his job and took everything in stride. Even if it meant working 12-14 hour days all summer or not being able to sit down for a meal without someone pulling in the driveway or the phone ringing.

Gary joined the Catholic Church in the late-1970s and has remained a devout member of Divine Mercy Parish. During his time there, he served on the Parish Council, maintained the Grotto, and mowed the Catholic Cemetery on North Hill.

Additionally, Gary was a member of American Legion Post 227, the Knights of Columbus, and the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

Gary believed deeply in giving back. He and Dianne volunteered with the Big Brothers of America program for many years, and later in life, they were Pre-Cana counselors for many couples preparing for marriage. After Gary's retirement, he dedicated a large portion of his time volunteering for many different organizations, including Great River Health, St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, the Knights of Columbus, and the Boy Scouts of America.

Besides being a professional Conservation Officer, Gary loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman, hunter, and bird watcher. Therefore, in lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Iowa Natural Heritage Fund in Gary's name. The INHF is dedicated to protecting and restoring Iowa's land, water, and wildlife.

Gary was truly a kind and gentle man with a pure soul. He will be greatly missed by many.

He is survived by his wife Dianne, two children: Susan Tjaden (Erik) and Dan Fell (Melissa); five grandchildren: Jett Tjaden, Axel Tjaden, and Isabel Tjaden, and Ash Fell (Cathan Bair) and Thomas Fell. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister.

Per his wishes cremation has been entrusted and accorded to the care of Lunning Chapel. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.lunningfuneralchapel.com