Obituaries : Harold William Bader

Harold William Bader, 94, of Scottsdale, AZ, passed away peacefully at his group-home residence on November 8, 2023.

Harold was born February 8, 1929, to Rudy and Elsie (Hock) Bader and grew up on the family farm near La Porte City, Iowa. The oldest of three children, he graduated from Geneseo High School in 1947, where he was a pivotal player on the basketball team that made it to the 1945 state tournament. He attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and graduated from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, with a degree in vocational agriculture. He enlisted in the United States Army following graduation and was stationed in Germany during the Korean War.

Before relocating, he married Marilynn M. Wiese at the Geneseo United Methodist Church in Buckingham, Iowa, in 1952. After separating from the Army, the couple made their home in Mt. Joy, Iowa, where Harold was a sales manager with International Harvester. After several years, he opened and owned an International Harvester farm implement dealership in La Porte.

Following an economic downturn in farming, he began a career in agricultural banking, first with the La Porte City Bank and then with Southern Arizona Bank, which necessitated a move with his family to Scottsdale, AZ, in 1968, where they remained. After many mergers and a managerial stint with the Federal Land Bank of Phoenix and then Chase Bank, he worked as a loan officer with the Casa Grande Cotton Finance Company, part of Chickasha Cotton Oil Company. Before retiring, he opened his own farm insurance business.

Family and friends remember Harold as an easy-going fellow with a wonderful sense of humor. As evidenced by his successful banking career, he had an astute ability to evaluate personal character and judge those worthy of a bank's confidence. Having lived through the Depression, he valued and appreciated every dollar. He dearly loved being with friends and family, often sharing a 'dirty' martini with them promptly at 5 pm.

He had long-term associations with the Kiwanis Club of Phoenix and Shriners International. He participated in many activities and held various roles as a member of the Valley Presbyterian Church.

He is survived by sons Barry (Jan) of Culpepper, VA, and Bruce (Susan), of Weston, FL; grandson Steven; and his sister Arlene Bader Sinn. He was predeceased by his parents, wife Marilynn, and his brother Keith.

A joint memorial service will be held for Harold and Marilynn on November 18, 2023, at 3pm, at the Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley. And the service will be live streamed at https://vimeo.com/event/3823463/7ec240c453. Donations can be made to the Kiwanis Club of Phoenix.