John Powers

May 9, 1947 - April 4, 2021

John Powers, 73, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Easter morning after a long battle with the effects of Agent Orange. A visitation will be held from 1 – 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 8, 2021, at Sharon United Methodist Church, 1809 9th Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A memorial service will follow at 3 p.m. on Thursday at the church. All guests are respectfully requested to wear a mask and practice social distancing. A livestream of the funeral service may be accessed on the church’s website at www.crsharonumc.org/. John was born on May 9, 1947, in Cedar Rapids to Mae and George Powers. He graduated from Jefferson High School and joined the Marine Corps. While serving in Vietnam he was seriously wounded and received the Purple Heart. He was a Marine for life, and spent countless hours working to support Veterans. He served on several committees and boards including the Linn County Veterans Council, Veterans Memorial Commission, and many years being “the food guy” for Veterans Stand Down and most recently, Linn County Veteran of the Year. Following graduation from Mt. Mercy College, John worked as a supervisor for FMC, Duane Arnold, Rockwell, Square D, and Quaker Oats. John married the love of his life, Janet Gardner, in 1967 and together they raised a family, shared their love of buying and selling antiques, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. John is survived by his wife, Janet; children, Amy Powers, Lisa (Buck) Kinnick, and John (Andrea) Powers; brothers, Harold (Zelda) Powers, and George (Cathy) Powers; grandchildren, Ashlee Koch, Zachary (Carley) Koch, Cody Fisher, Briar Kinnick, Luke Powers, and Ryne Powers; and great-grandchildren, Elijah, Corey, Alyonna, Violet, and Carter John. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mae and George Powers; and sisters, Mae Rhene and Francis (Frankie) Williams Findley.