Dennis 'Wally' Usher
October 16, 1944 — January 11, 2024
Dennis “Wally” Usher, 79, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away Thursday, January 11, 2024, at The Gardens of Cedar Rapids. Funeral Service: 4 – 4:30 p.m. Friday, January 19, 2024, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids. A Remembrance Party will immediately follow from 4:30 – 8 p.m. at The Legacy Center at Murdoch-Linwood. Burial: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery in Cedar Rapids on a later date. A livestream of the funeral service may be accessed on the funeral home website tribute page for Wally, under “photos and videos or media,” starting at 4 p.m. on Friday.
Dennis was born October 16, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, the son of Norman and Doris (Chyba) Usher. He graduated from Jefferson High School and the University of Northern Iowa. On May 15, 1965, Dennis was united in marriage to Judy Vig in Cedar Rapids. He worked at Kirkwood Community College for 33 years as a Continuing Education Director, Kirkwood Softball Complex Director, and Athletic Director before retiring in 2000. Dennis is a member of the Cedar Rapids Jefferson Athletics Hall of Fame, the State 16-inch Iowa Softball Hall of Fame, and the Monday Atlas Club, held at CJ’s Bar and Grill.
Dennis was a lifelong resident of the SW side of town, and took great pride in that fact, as well as his Czech heritage. He grew up in what he called Hayes Valley, the area of town that included Hayes Elementary School and was just blocks from the Czech Village. He attended Hayes, Wilson Jr. High School, and his beloved Jefferson High School. While at Jefferson, he and his classmates created the foundation for a football program that became one of the best in the state over the next two decades. He received All-City, All-Conference and All-State honors. The 1961 CR Jhawks finished 6-2. They also achieved great success in basketball, advancing to the 1962 2A substate final before losing a heartbreaker in The Iowa Field House. Dennis was a co-captain on both the football and basketball teams. He played football at UNI for one year.
Dennis went on to be one of the earliest employees of Kirkwood Community College. Along with his high school basketball coach, Gay Dahn, who had become a Kirkwood administrator, they pioneered an adult driver education program that was unique to the state, including a high-tech simulator. He also served as the director of the Kirkwood Softball Complex for several decades. During his tenure, softball in the community thrived. He was the driving force behind Kirkwood hosting several regional and national softball tournaments. For the last 5 years of his employment, he was Kirkwood’s athletics director. Dennis retired in 2000 at the age of 56.
Dennis was a staple of the 16-inch softball community. He played and coached for over 30 years. He played with his great friends on the Paradise Lounge teams in the ‘70s and ‘80s, coached a league team named the Kirkwood Eagles in the ‘90s, and later coached his son on the Union Station team in the 90’s and early 2000’s. All the while he was administering leagues and tournaments at the Kirkwood Softball Complex. This body of work culminated in being inducted into the State 16-inch Hall of Fame in July 2023.
In his retirement, Dennis found great pleasure in following the University of Iowa and Kirkwood athletics. He was a multi-year season ticket holder for Iowa football and basketball, and a frequent attendee of UI wrestling events, especially national championships tournaments. For more than a decade, in addition to attending every home Iowa football game, Dennis and Judy would attend nearly all away games, travelling as far as Tucson, AZ and State College, PA. Additionally, they travelled to bowl games in Orlando, San Antonio and Tampa. Dennis also loyally followed the Kirkwood men’s basketball team, coached by his former colleague and great friend, Doug Wagemester, making the pilgrimage to Danville, IL to watch many national championship tournaments.
Dennis was ultra proud and supportive of his children and grandchildren, and their extracurricular activities. Whether it was academic-based, band events, baseball, basketball, football, softball, tennis, or volleyball, he cherished attending their events.
Notably: Dennis loved the Indianapolis 500, watching religiously every Memorial Day, and attending at least a dozen times; was a history buff, especially on the topic of WW II; enjoyed government and politics, and to that end, would watch CSPAN regularly.
Most notably, Dennis was caring, generous, highly intelligent, extremely quick witted, a legendary storyteller, enjoyed an argument, and loved to plan a gathering, trip, or adventure, in the name of having fun. The number of people he impacted is innumerable.
Survivors include his wife, Judy Usher; children, Angella (Donovan) Northup of Cedar Rapids, Matthew (Tina) Usher of Fairfax, Iowa, and Allison (Craig) Wilhelm of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren Anthony (Chabely) Northup of Miami, Florida, Olivia Usher of Cedar Rapids, Levi Dennis Usher of Fairfax, Marie Wilhelm (fiancé, Jaden Henley) of Cedar Rapids, Raquel Wilhelm of Coralville, Iowa, and Renee Wilhelm of Cedar Rapids; brothers, Dale (Marcy) Usher of Fairfax, and Duane (Sue) Usher of Cedar Rapids; and many nieces and nephews.
Dennis was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials may be directed to HACAP, 1515 Hawkeye Drive, Hiawatha, Iowa 52233.
Dennis was born October 16, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, the son of Norman and Doris (Chyba) Usher. He graduated from Jefferson High School and the University of Northern Iowa. On May 15, 1965, Dennis was united in marriage to Judy Vig in Cedar Rapids. He worked at Kirkwood Community College for 33 years as a Continuing Education Director, Kirkwood Softball Complex Director, and Athletic Director before retiring in 2000. Dennis is a member of the Cedar Rapids Jefferson Athletics Hall of Fame, the State 16-inch Iowa Softball Hall of Fame, and the Monday Atlas Club, held at CJ’s Bar and Grill.
Dennis was a lifelong resident of the SW side of town, and took great pride in that fact, as well as his Czech heritage. He grew up in what he called Hayes Valley, the area of town that included Hayes Elementary School and was just blocks from the Czech Village. He attended Hayes, Wilson Jr. High School, and his beloved Jefferson High School. While at Jefferson, he and his classmates created the foundation for a football program that became one of the best in the state over the next two decades. He received All-City, All-Conference and All-State honors. The 1961 CR Jhawks finished 6-2. They also achieved great success in basketball, advancing to the 1962 2A substate final before losing a heartbreaker in The Iowa Field House. Dennis was a co-captain on both the football and basketball teams. He played football at UNI for one year.
Dennis went on to be one of the earliest employees of Kirkwood Community College. Along with his high school basketball coach, Gay Dahn, who had become a Kirkwood administrator, they pioneered an adult driver education program that was unique to the state, including a high-tech simulator. He also served as the director of the Kirkwood Softball Complex for several decades. During his tenure, softball in the community thrived. He was the driving force behind Kirkwood hosting several regional and national softball tournaments. For the last 5 years of his employment, he was Kirkwood’s athletics director. Dennis retired in 2000 at the age of 56.
Dennis was a staple of the 16-inch softball community. He played and coached for over 30 years. He played with his great friends on the Paradise Lounge teams in the ‘70s and ‘80s, coached a league team named the Kirkwood Eagles in the ‘90s, and later coached his son on the Union Station team in the 90’s and early 2000’s. All the while he was administering leagues and tournaments at the Kirkwood Softball Complex. This body of work culminated in being inducted into the State 16-inch Hall of Fame in July 2023.
In his retirement, Dennis found great pleasure in following the University of Iowa and Kirkwood athletics. He was a multi-year season ticket holder for Iowa football and basketball, and a frequent attendee of UI wrestling events, especially national championships tournaments. For more than a decade, in addition to attending every home Iowa football game, Dennis and Judy would attend nearly all away games, travelling as far as Tucson, AZ and State College, PA. Additionally, they travelled to bowl games in Orlando, San Antonio and Tampa. Dennis also loyally followed the Kirkwood men’s basketball team, coached by his former colleague and great friend, Doug Wagemester, making the pilgrimage to Danville, IL to watch many national championship tournaments.
Dennis was ultra proud and supportive of his children and grandchildren, and their extracurricular activities. Whether it was academic-based, band events, baseball, basketball, football, softball, tennis, or volleyball, he cherished attending their events.
Notably: Dennis loved the Indianapolis 500, watching religiously every Memorial Day, and attending at least a dozen times; was a history buff, especially on the topic of WW II; enjoyed government and politics, and to that end, would watch CSPAN regularly.
Most notably, Dennis was caring, generous, highly intelligent, extremely quick witted, a legendary storyteller, enjoyed an argument, and loved to plan a gathering, trip, or adventure, in the name of having fun. The number of people he impacted is innumerable.
Survivors include his wife, Judy Usher; children, Angella (Donovan) Northup of Cedar Rapids, Matthew (Tina) Usher of Fairfax, Iowa, and Allison (Craig) Wilhelm of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren Anthony (Chabely) Northup of Miami, Florida, Olivia Usher of Cedar Rapids, Levi Dennis Usher of Fairfax, Marie Wilhelm (fiancé, Jaden Henley) of Cedar Rapids, Raquel Wilhelm of Coralville, Iowa, and Renee Wilhelm of Cedar Rapids; brothers, Dale (Marcy) Usher of Fairfax, and Duane (Sue) Usher of Cedar Rapids; and many nieces and nephews.
Dennis was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials may be directed to HACAP, 1515 Hawkeye Drive, Hiawatha, Iowa 52233.
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