John Richard Lofgren II

John Richard Lofgren II, age 53, passed away on Friday, February 23, 2024 at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines.
John graduated from Ankeny High School as class Valedictorian in 1988, and in 1992, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tulane University with a BS degree in molecular biology. Upon graduation he was hired by Astra Merck Pharmaceuticals where he helped with the development and marketing of the drug Prilosec. In 1995, he was accepted into a 4-year dual-degree program at Harvard University, earning both an MBA and law degree. From Boston he moved to Denver where he spent several years in various entrepreneurial businesses. In 2018 he moved back to Ankeny to be closer to family and pursue his dream of self-employment.
John loved traveling. He did a student exchange trip to Japan during high school, studied in Edinburgh, Scotland, for a year during college and visited numerous other countries during his life. He was a voracious reader of books of all types - he was passionate about learning and interested in many different topics. John and his brother shared a great, but sometimes awkward, sense of humor. He will be remembered by his family, friends, and co-workers for his incredible work ethic, compassion, and love of life.
John is survived by his mother, Judith Littke (Russ) of Ankeny; father, Dr. James Lofgren (Abigayle) of Blairsville, Georgia; brother, Warren Lofgren (Kelcy) of Ankeny; nephew, Ryan Lofgren of Denver; niece, Ara Lofgren of Ankeny; step-brothers, Brad Morris of Windsor Heights, and Evan Morris of Newnan, Georgia; step-sister, Danielle Ward (Andy) of Norwalk; his Uncle Jim and Aunt Lana Smith of Moravia, Iowa; and Aunt Greta Smith of Hollister, Missouri.
John's celebration of life will be held at Memorial Services of Iowa, 4208 N. Ankeny Blvd., on Friday, August 30, 2024, from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm.