Mackaman, John R. - 1929-2011

AMELANG, HERRERA, MACKAMAN

Posted By: Polk volunteer
Date: 9/12/2024 at 14:12:34

John R. Mackaman, 82, died November 12 at Wesley Acres in Des Moines, where he had been an active resident for several years, and more recently, a patient in hospice care at Wesley Health Center, where he was cared for by a dedicated staff.
John, also known as J.B., was born in 1929, the youngest of six children of Frank and Eva Mackaman. A lifelong Des Moines area resident, J.B. was a graduate of Roosevelt High School, Drake University and Drake Law School, where he was editor of the Law Review. J.B. enlisted in the Navy in 1947, served as a Naval Officer during the Korean War, and remained a Reserve Officer throughout his life. He joined the Dickinson Law firm (currently known as Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler and Hagen) in 1957 and was a partner in the firm until his retirement in 1998. He married his late wife Joan in 1957, had two daughters, Margaret and Molly, and lived in rural Ankeny until Joan's death in 2007.
Known for his intellect, wit and his sometimes-biting humor, J.B. also loved the outdoors and enjoyed the opportunities rural life afforded him. He was an avid gardener, horseman and amateur naturalist, and spent many a Sunday with his family hiking the woods and fields surrounding his home. J.B. was an early enthusiast of Des Moines bicycle trails, and often rode the trails to his law office in downtown Des Moines. His love of the outdoors extended to the Mackaman family cabin on Cedar Lake in Minnesota, where he spent a lifetime of summers.
Throughout his long career as a lawyer, J.B. served on the Board of Directors of many organizations, including Planned Parenthood of Polk County, the Des Moines Symphony, Friends of Iowa Public Television and the Polk County Legal Aid Society. J.B. also sat on the Board of Governors of the Iowa State Bar Association, the Board of Counselors of the Drake Law School Association, was a member and past president of Lincoln Inne, and was past president of the Polk County Bar Association.
J.B. is survived by daughter, Maggie Mackaman and son-in-law, Brian Amelang of Minneapolis; daughter, Molly Mackaman of Brooklyn, New York; and four grandchildren, Mimi and Anthony Amelang of Minneapolis and Gabriel and Ian Herrera of Brooklyn. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews and their families. He will be remembered and missed by them, and by countless friends and acquaintances, old and new.
Memorial services will be held 3 p.m., Saturday, December 3, 2011, at Iles Funeral Homes-Dunn's Chapel where the family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Frank H. and Eva Hayes Mackaman Scholarship at Drake University, or the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.
Published in Des Moines (IA) Register; Friday, December 2, 2011, page 4B