John Anthony Netty II

John Anthony Netty II, 59, of Aberdeen, South Dakota, formerly of Waterloo, Iowa, passed away to be with the Lord on August 16, 2025, at his Richmond Lake home, with his wife, Brandy, by his side.

John was born June 1, 1966, in Waterloo, Iowa, the son of John and Luella (Comstock) Netty.

John graduated from East Waterloo High School in 1984 and earned all-state honors in baseball, all-conference in football, and had a 28-scoreless inning streak that was recognized by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. He also played in the Iowa High School All-Star Baseball game, where he sustained a career-ending arm injury while throwing a pitch. He went on to Des Moines Area Community College, Wartburg College to play football, and then graduated cum laude with his B.A. in Secondary English Education with a minor in Coaching from the University of Northern Iowa in 1990. He completed his M.A. in Educational Administration from UNI in 2004.

John had a successful 30-year educational career, beginning in 1990 as an English teacher and coach at East Greene Community School District, then at Clarksville Community School District. In 1998, he returned to his hometown of Waterloo and taught at EDC and Logan Junior High his first year, before his tenure as English/Reading teacher, football offensive coordinator, and head varsity baseball coach at his alma-mater, East High. Coach Netty was able to bring the best out of his athletes and teams… if you played for him, he was your biggest fan and he put his team in positions to win. John spoke of his coaching years fondly, never forgetting a player, an inning, a squeeze bunt play, a touchdown, a homerun, or a victory. He was awarded Mississippi Valley Coach of the year in 2003, and he was inducted as a player and coach into the East High Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. He was truly humbled by these honors.

In 2006, he began his educational administration career as Assistant Principal & Athletic Director at Logan Middle School. In 2008, he moved to Central Middle School in the same role and then was named the Head Principal of Central in 2012. John cherished his time in the Waterloo Community School District and mentored thousands of students, athletes, and teachers. He was proud to serve the community he grew up in and loved being an educational leader.

In 2014, John moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. John served as a head principal in the College Community School District for one year, before landing in his final administrative positions in the Iowa City Community School District. In Iowa City, he served as the Administrator for TREC and Assistant Principal for Northwest Junior High School. He retired from his educational career in 2021.

John married Lori Marr in 1993, and they later divorced. John was blessed with two daughters, Alyson Jo Netty, born in 1994, and Brianna Lynn Netty, born in 1999. He was a proud softball dad, enjoying the years he watched Aly and Bri play at East High and in college… always from his spot at the right-field fence. He enjoyed watching the Netty legacy unfold as he celebrated their athletic and academic successes and admired the amazing women they have become. He never took for granted that he was healthy and well enough to walk them both down the aisle on their wedding days, and was proud to know the strong, devoted men they chose as partners. John was blessed again in June 2025, when his grandson, Mateo was born. John will be looking down on him fondly and coaching him from Heaven.

John married Brandy Mefferd on March 14, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They spent their years together as best friends, making each other laugh, growing in faith, helping each other professionally, and loving life together. They shared appreciation for the beauty of God’s world and found joy in the life events and little things they shared together. John was stricken with health issues in his final years, and Brandy served as his caregiver, never leaving his side.

John was the biggest Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Cubs fan in the world, having season tickets to Iowa games for several years, and traveling to Wrigleyville for the historic 2016 Chicago Cubs World Series. He also enjoyed fishing, boating, playing with his dogs, spending time with family, and was fortunate to live his last year on earth at his South Dakota lake home. Living on the lake had been a dream since his parents took him fishing in Minnesota as a child. He never took life for granted, and thanked God for his life every day.

Remaining to cherish John’s memory are his wife, Brandy, of Aberdeen, South Dakota, daughters Alyson (Andres) Martinez and Brianna (Caleb) Meinders, grandson Mateo Martinez, and sister, Melissa Mendenhall all of Waterloo, Iowa, in-laws, Mike and Lonnie Mefferd of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and loyal pups, Snoopy and Jack.

Preceding John in death are his parents, John and Luella, his Grandma Mae Comstock, and his cherished dog companions, Wrigley, Maggie, and Ginger.

Services will be held on Monday, August 25, 2025, at 10:30 am at Parrott and Wood Funeral Home, 965 Home Plaza, Waterloo, IA. The family will greet guests at a visitation on Sunday, August 24, 2025, from 4:00-7:00 pm at Parrott and Wood Funeral Home. 

Memorials may be directed to the Netty family to honor John’s legacy.