Loren Dale Ratekin, 84, of Burlington, died at 5:00 AM Sunday, September 3, 2017, at the Great River Hospice House in West Burlington.
Born January 7, 1933 in Council Bluffs, IA, he was the son of Harry and Dorothy Grason Ratekin. On June 29, 1955, he married Betty Jean Droe in Fort Belvoir, VA.
Loren taught history and business and also was Assistant Principal at Burlington High School.
He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, IA in 1950. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Parsons College in Fairfield, IA and received his Masters of Arts degree in Education Administration from the University of Iowa.
He was a U.S. Army Veteran and served during the Korean War from 1954 to 1956.
Loren was active in the Player's Workshop and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, where he had served as treasurer as well as in many other capacities. He served on the Burlington Zoning Board and was a member of the board of directors of the Burlington area Planned Parenthood. For several years he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in locations across the country. Loren enjoyed golf, tennis, the Iowa Hawkeyes ...[more]
the Chicago Cubs.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Tom Ratekin of New York; two daughters, Diane Ratekin of Oak Park, IL and Susan Ratekin Krogmeier of Scottsdale, AZ; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and one on the way; four brothers, Earl Ratekin of Council Bluffs, Jim Ratekin of Paradise, CA, Ned Ratekin of Cedar Falls,
IA, and Dan Ratekin of West Des Moines, IA and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Visitation will be from noon until 7:00 PM with the family to receive friends from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at Prugh~Thielen Funeral Home.
The funeral service for Mr. Ratekin will be 10:00 AM Thursday, September 7, 2017, at Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship with Rich Johnson officiating. A time of food and fellowship will be held in the community room at Prugh~Thielen Funeral Home following the service.
A memorial has been established for Habitat for Humanity.
There's still time to send flowers to the Visitation at the Prugh~Thielen Funeral Home from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM on September 6, 2017.
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