John Joseph Rozycki

John Joseph Rozycki, PhD., age 71, of Granger, Iowa, died on Wednesday in his home surrounded by his loving family after a 3-year battle with ALS.
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Frank and Leonarda (Stanave) Rozycki. He grew up in a loving family and enjoyed many adventures alongside his father in the mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania. John was a graduate of Saint Leo's High School and King's College (Wilkes-Barre, PA), where he majored in biology. He was an extremely hard-working, reflective, and independent-thinking person. John's education and career path developed as his work experiences piqued his interest in business and finance. While continuing to work, John attained an MBA to satisfy this growing fascination.
John met Joan Marie Zang, and they developed a close friendship and deep love for one another. They were married in 1978 and enjoyed a wonderful marriage of 46 years. John and Joan were very close, and she lovingly supported him during the early years of their marriage as he balanced pursuit of advanced education, a job, and being a father and husband. In 1990, John concluded his formal education, earning a PhD in Finance from Penn State University. Through all this, he was also a devoted father to his two sons, Tom and Frank.
John began his educational career in 1990 at Drake University, where he taught in the Department of Finance for the next 30 years, retiring in 2020. He loved teaching and sincerely cared about his students from both a professional and personal perspective. He was the recipient of several awards in recognition of his outstanding dedication to teaching during his tenure as a professor.
Above all else, John loved Jesus. He was a prayerful and deeply spiritual man. John was dedicated to the teachings of the Church and continued to study the Bible even in the last days of his life. John lived out his faith in many forms of service, devoting time and energy to others: his family, the Knights of Columbus, and many other church groups and organizations.
John developed ALS in 2022 and relocated to Granger to live with his son Tom and his family in early 2024. He spent his last year enjoying the company of his family as his health declined. Even during this time, John always sought every opportunity to help others and express his gratitude. At the time of his death, he was a parishioner of Assumption Catholic Church in Granger, Iowa.
Surviving are: his two sons, Tom (Amanda) and Frank (Elizabeth); eleven grandchildren (Nathan, Clare, Noah, Michael, William, Isaiah, John, Clare, Elijah, George, and Agnes); two sisters and one nephew.
The family wishes to thank Father Dominic Assim, pastor of Assumption Catholic Church for caring spiritually for John, and to extend our appreciation to the kind and professional staff of Unity Point Hospice.
There will be a visitation at Iles Westover Chapel in Des Moines on Monday, February 3rd, 2024, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Assumption Catholic Church, Granger, Iowa on Tuesday, February 4th, at 10:00 am, followed by a luncheon. Interment will be at Beaver Catholic Cemetery in Granger at 1:00 pm on Tuesday.
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