His final years were spent enjoying his grandkids, taking walks in his Ames neighborhood, and slowly succumbing to dementia. He suffered a stroke on his 82nd birthday that paralyzed his right side, and passed quietly at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames on October 29, 2025.
A private family service was held at Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames on Saturday, November 8, 2025. A Celebration of Life Reception was held on Sunday, November 9. Interment will be on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at 2:00 pm at St. Paul's (Dub's) Union Church in Hanover, Pennsylvania.