Vernon J. Tesar

Vernon Joseph Tesar, 91, of Sun City, formerly of Mason City, died Sunday, June 7, 2015 in Sun City from complications of pneumonia. A funeral mass will be held 1:00 PM Thursday, June 18, 2015 at Epiphany Parish Holy Family Catholic Church, 714 N. Adams, with Rev. Rodney Allers, celebrant. Friends may greet the family one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will take place in Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa, 232 Second Street SE, Mason City, Iowa 50401. Survivors include his wife, Carol (Gardner), five sons, Michael (Sharon) of Omaha, NE, Robert (Connie) of Marion, IA, Daniel (Jenese) of Rancho Mission Viejo, CA, Scott of Coppell, TX, and James (Traci); a daughter, Susan (Joe) McDuffie of Missouri City, TX. Additional survivors include Carol’s four children, Gwen, Gary, Gayle, and Glen. Their blended family includes 20 grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. Vernon was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Mabel Tesar, and by his first wife, Theresa Ann (Fisher) Tesar, who was the mother of his six children. They were married for 47 years prior to her death in 1993. Vernon was born February 20, 1924, in Buffalo, New York, and moved to Iowa at an early age. Following his graduation from Belle Plaine High School in 1941, he began working for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. In 1943 he joined the US Navy and served for three years as a pharmacist’s mate on the USS Phoenix during World War II. Just prior to his discharge, Vern married Theresa, his high school sweetheart, and then continued his career with the railroad. His 44 years with the company took the family to many locations in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, before returning to Iowa in 1967 for his final assignment in Mason City. He retired in 1985 as Assistant Division Manager—Engineering. In 1996 he and Carol were married in Moorhead, MN. They have since spent winters in Sun City and summers in Fargo, ND. Vernon was a life member of the VFW and the American Legion. His pastimes during his long retirement included running, traveling the US by car, playing golf, and enjoying his large family and equally large network of friends. His outgoing, affable nature made him a wonderful happy-hour storyteller, and a good friend to many. He will be missed.