Obituaries : John Mark Waldorf

John Mark Waldorf, 75, of Waterloo passed away at Cedar Valley Hospice Home on Wednesday, October 22, 2025. Son of Horace "Kaye" and Harleen (Harper) Waldorf, he was born in Vinton, Iowa on September 21, 1950. John graduated from Washington High School in Vinton with the Class of 1968. He attended the University of Hawaii for a short while, then served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Following an honorable discharge in 1972, John returned to Iowa where he attended Iowa State University. He married Darlene Reed in 1986. He worked at John Deere for 30 years, and took an early retirement at 51 so he could spend his days “helping others”.

True to his word, he was a jack of all trades and helped people with projects like home repairs, tree trimming, and hauling grain. He was a lifelong blood donor, and his generosity never faltered. A huge outdoorsman, he enjoyed hiking, bow hunting, mushroom hunting, and making walking sticks. He embarked on many trips to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota for canoeing, camping, fishing, and trail maintenance. He was an avid winemaker and loved sharing his wine with friends and family. He regularly played basketball, racquetball, and golf, and ran multiple marathons throughout his life. John and Darlene rode RAGBRAI together for seven years. Above all else, he cherished spending time with his family–typically with a bottle of red wine.

John was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Douglas Duke. He is survived by his wife, Darlene; his son, Dani (Rona) Duke; five sisters: Ann (Denny) Williams, Diana Baker, Beth (Ron) Maifeld, Jane Fernandes, and Caroline (Bob) Isbell; seven grandchildren: Matthew Duke, Megan (Ryan) Smith, Michael Duke, Jenna Duke, Holli (Matthew) Duke Frohn, Bess (Scott) Diesburg, and Jered Baldwin; and seven great-grandchildren.

His family will host a Celebration of Life gathering from 1-4:00 pm on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Dahl-Van Hove-Schoof Funeral Home. Please dress comfortably and come share refreshments and great memories of a great man. Memorials may be directed to Cedar Valley Hospice.