Edward W McAtee, 11 Jan 1947 - 05 Mar 2018

MCATEE, BERENDES, DAVIS, BUNTEN, SMITH, DALSING, DUNLAP

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 3/14/2018 at 13:03:58

EDWARD W. 'PAPA' MCATEE
Vinton

Edward W. "PaPa" McAtee passed unexpectedly on Monday, March 5, 2018, at his home in Vinton. A private family interment was held at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will be held at Blessed Hope Church in Vinton, Iowa, 1509 South M Ave., at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 16.

Ed was born in Cedar Rapids on Jan. 11, 1947, to Wayne and Dorthy McAtee of Vinton. On May 9, 1999, he married "the love of his life," Angelika M. Berendes, in Vinton. PaPa was born to drive a truck and also was an instructor at Kirkwood, which is where he met his wife, Angie. From there, they both went on to drive trucks for R.H. Hummer in Williamsburg, Iowa. After retiring from driving, PaPa went back to Kirkwood as an instructor, where he touched so many students who came across his path. He had a love for teaching.

PaPa had season tickets every year for the NASCAR races in Michigan with his lifelong friends. Every Sunday, you'd better believe when those races came on you knew exactly where PaPa was sitting in front of the TV cheering on the races!

He had a passion for old tractors. On weekends, he would bring his kids and grandkids for drives around Iowa just to look at tractors and visit the tractor museum in Dyersville, Iowa. He also had a hobby of putting together model cars. He had a love for Corvairs, something he and his dad would enjoy together, whether it was working on them or collecting them.

He loved spending time with his grandkids, giving each of them a nickname that we as a family eventually started using.

PaPa loved his service dog, Jackson, "Jackman." When given the opportunity, his dog was with him no matter where he was going.

Ed was a Vietnam War veteran for the U.S. Army.

He is survived by his son, Scotty McAtee and his wife, Jennifer McAtee, of Lincoln, Neb.; his daughter, Lisa Davis and husband, Richard Davis, of Tulsa, Okla.; his daughter, Jennifer Bunten of Vinton; his daughter, Tiffany Smith of Vinton; and his grandkids, Richie, Caleb and Kesha Davis, Michael Dalsing, Navon Dunlap, Alexis Bunten, and Aydan, Brently and Cash Smith.

A fundraiser has been set up on Facebook for funeral expenses.

He was very much loved and touched everyone whom he came in contact with. He had a voice and laugh that no one ever will forget. We love you, PaPa!

The Gazette, Tue., March 13, 2018 10a