John and Joyce Schuchmann
John and Joyce Schuchmann
Cedar Rapids
Dr. John Daniel Schuchmann Sr. was born June 13, 1930, in Oelwein, Iowa. He was the son of Edwin and Alberta Schuchmann, and had one older brother, Dale Schuchmann, all of whom preceded him in death. Joyce Ann Moburg was born on June 8, 1932, in Gowrie, Iowa. She was the daughter of Carl and Edna Moburg, and had two older sisters, Lois and Janet, all of whom preceded her in death. After 63 years of marriage, John passed peacefully on Oct. 26, 2022, surrounded by his family, and Joyce followed him four days later on Oct. 30, 2022, surrounded by her children. Surviving family members include their four children, Ann Puyk of London, England; Susan Schultze (David) of Naples, Fla.; John Schuchmann Jr. (Sherri) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Mona Bentz of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as well as five grandchildren and two stepgrandchildren.
John grew up in Oelwein, Iowa, and graduated from Oelwein Senior High School in 1948. He worked in the family drug store from age 14 until graduation, in various capacities. At age 18, he joined the Army National Guard in Oelwein, in the newly established Company D, 133rd Infantry regiment, and was honorably discharged after seven years of service as a Master Sergeant. He also entered the Drake University College of Pharmacy, graduating with a B.S. degree in 1952. After passing his Pharmacy Board exams, he returned to Oelwein and joined his father and brother in the family pharmacy. During his time as a pharmacist, he was a member of the Oelwein Junior Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, National Guard, and sang in the Zion Lutheran Church choir.
Joyce grew up in Gowrie, Iowa, and graduated from Gowrie High School in 1950. She was a talented singer from a young age, and she often sang solos in the school choir. She also played piano and French horn and was the drum majorette in high school. Joyce was valedictorian of her high school class and was named Miss Gowrie High. She received merit scholarships to attend university. She attended the University of Northern Iowa for one year before completing a four-year B.S. degree in nursing at the University of Iowa.
John was accepted in the 1955-1959 class at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. While working his way through medical school he met his future wife, Joyce, at the U of I Hospitals where he worked as an orderly and she as a Registered Nurse. They were married upon his graduation from medical school on June 20, 1959, then moved to Des Moines for one year, where he served his medical internship at Broadlawns Polk County Hospital. Upon completion of his internship, Dr. Schuchmann began serving his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City. Upon completion of his residency in 1962, John and Joyce moved to Cedar Rapids, where John joined the Linn County Anesthesiologists, serving both Mercy and St. Luke’s Hospitals.
Dr. Schuchmann passed his board certification by the American Board of Anesthesiology and by the American College of Anesthesiologists. He eventually served as Chief of Anesthesia at both Mercy and St. Luke’s Hospitals, and was on a number of staff committees at both hospitals and the Linn County Medical Society. During his three years as Chairman of the Linn County Medical Society’s Community Health Needs Committee, he was on the board of the Cedar Rapids Red Cross, and acted as their consultant. Together, with volunteer members of the Linn County Medical Society, they provided several free community vaccination clinics. John belonged to the Iowa Medical Society, the American Medical Association, the Iowa Society of Anesthesiologists, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He served on the founding board of the Eastern Iowa Physicians’ Association, a physician’s provider organization, which included physicians in a large portion of Eastern Iowa. He also was president of the Anesthesia Group for a number of years and director of their office personnel.
Dr. Schuchmann was one of three anesthesiologists who volunteered to work with two cardiac surgeons to develop the open-heart surgical program at St. Luke’s Hospital. He spent considerable time enhancing his knowledge and skills in order to establish the program, in the open-heart operating rooms at the University of Iowa Hospitals and at the Cleveland Clinic. He then administered anesthesia and critical care for hundreds of patients during open-heart surgery, from 1978 until his retirement in 1991. Soon after the St. Luke’s Open-Heart Surgery Program began in Cedar Rapids, it rapidly became one of the finest programs in the state. Dr. Schuchmann also administered anesthesia and care for other highly critical surgical procedures, many of which lasted six hours or more, with some lasting even 17 hours or more. He always felt that there was no “routine” in surgery or anesthesia, and that each patient was a unique individual.
For many years after retirement, John attended medical education meetings in Cedar Rapids and at the Mayo Clinic. John and his family were members of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, where he served a number of years on various committees and funding campaigns. He served on the board of trustees at Missouri Military Academy in Mexico, Mo., where his son was a cadet. During the years his son was a Boy Scout, he also taught first aid to the Scouts, conducted their physical examinations, and participated in their activities.
After moving to Cedar Rapids in 1962 Joyce devoted her time to managing her household and raising four children. She had excelled in nutrition in college, and enjoyed trying new recipes to ensure her family was deliciously well-nourished. Joyce was involved in volunteer work at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, and she was a board member of the Dieman-Bennett Dance Theatre of the Hemispheres. Joyce also was an active supporter of the Cedar Rapids Symphony, now Orchestra Iowa.
Joyce6 always had a love of the arts, and she instilled that love in her children, as her children studied piano, flute, ballet and other dance forms through high school. Joyce had a special talent for lovely decorating, and she filled her home with beauty and elegance, in addition to love. John had a strong interest in military history and enjoyed traveling. He enjoyed hiking or cross-country skiing on scenic trails, and always was dedicated to physical fitness. Their greatest pleasure was spending time at home with each other, their four children, and their grandchildren. They will be greatly missed by all who knew them.
Visitation will be held at Cedar Memorial Funeral Park Home on Friday, Nov. 4, from 4 to 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations either to Mercy Foundation, 701 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403, or to St. Luke’s Foundation, 810 First Ave. NE, 2nd Floor, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.