Dale Marlin Braun

Dale Marlin Braun, 75, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Monday, January 19, 2026, surrounded with love by his family, at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, after a short, but hard-fought battle with stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Dale was born on December 19, 1950, in Middleton, Wisconsin, the oldest son of Marlin and Aletha (Fingerson) Braun. He was a graduate of Middleton High School Class of 1969 and went on to attend Madison Area Technical College, where he earned his associate’s degree. On May 26, 1973, Dale was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart and brown-eyed girl Nancy Mae McAllister in Middleton. Dale and Nancy moved to Cedar Rapids in 1975, where he began his 41-year career at Rockwell Collins, all spent in various roles in the mechanical drafting and design department, culminating in his retirement in 2016 as a manager. They welcomed daughters Sarah in 1977 and Katie in 1981, and while Dale wanted four girls, that wasn’t to be until his granddaughters, and greatest joys, came along.

He was actively involved in the Izaak Walton League of America, serving most recently as the Iowa Division President and National Director, and in the past held various positions at the Linn County Chapter, including President, Membership Secretary, and Board Member, where he championed environmental conservation and outdoor activities. He also enjoyed working with young people and taught Hunter Education classes for many years, sharing his knowledge and commitment to safety and outdoor ethics.

Dale was a lifelong fan and shareholder of the Green Bay Packers, a Chicago Cubs die-hard, and loved any and all things hockey. He enjoyed reading, completing puzzles, ice cream, watching old movies, stamp collecting, hunting, fishing, camping, and traveling with Nancy, notably following the Lewis and Clark trail from beginning to end. He was an avid genealogist and traced family roots back generations to Norway, the Mayflower, and beyond.

But above all, Dale’s greatest accomplishment was the family he and Nancy created. Dale would drop everything at a moment’s notice to help his daughters and granddaughters in any way, be it changing a flat tire, giving rides to school, or taking care of grand-dogs Cooper and Herky. He was a jack of all trades and could remodel any room in the house, build a deck, or landscape to whatever the “homeowner” (aka wife or daughters) desired, only requesting payment of a bologna sandwich, Fritos, Fig Newtons, and bottle of beer at the end of the day, because “a man working outdoors feels more like a man if he can have a bottle of suds.” He made delicious cheesy eggs, played endless games of UNO, and endured hours of playing school. As Grandpa, he made babysitting days an adventure for the girls and attended every sporting and musical event his granddaughters participated in, traveling near and far, in the cold and heat. He was deeply devoted to his girls and loved them more than anything.

At the end of Dale’s favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption, Andy and Red note “hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies…get busy living or get busy dying.” Dale was the best of all of us and got busy living every day, and while we will miss him fiercely, we hold onto the hope we will meet him again.

Dale is survived and lovingly remembered by his wife, Nancy Braun; daughters, Sarah Braun and Katie (Tom) Manternach; four granddaughters, Ella Griffin, Elizabeth Griffin, Brianna Koppes, and Kaylee Manternach; siblings, Jane (David) Acker and Doug (Maryann) Braun; and “El Gato,” Cutie.

He was preceded in death by his parents and loyal 4-legged companions, Hank and Jake.

The family wishes to thank the wonderful and kind people at Mercy’s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center, particularly Dr. Samuel Wood and nurse Nicole, and the attentive staff at UIHC. We could not have traversed this journey with better support at our side.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Dale’s honor may be directed to the family and will be spread among causes important to him: environmental conservation and cancer programs.