Edward Charles Podzimek

Edward Charles Podzimek, 90, of Cedar Rapids and formerly of Santa Barbara, California, died at home on Sunday, March 11, 2012. Final inurnment at Santa Barbara Cemetery. Friends and family will gather for a Celebration of his Life and picnic to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, 2012, at the Hilltop Pavilion at Daniels Park, Cedar Rapids. Survivors include his nieces and nephews, Linda (Dan) Weaver, Cathy (Dean) Schneberger, Nancy (Denny) Ryan, Tom (Connie) Podzimek, and Jay (Sally) Podzimek and cousin, Sister Mary Lou Podzimek . He was preceded in death by his parents; and a brother, Frank T. Podzimek. Edward was born February 4, 1922, the son of Frank V. and Rose (Pulkrab) Podzimek in the Timecheck neighborhood of Cedar Rapids. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1941 and joined the US Marine Corps later that year. While in boot camp the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Edward finished his training while on a ship headed for Hawaii and served most of the next 49 months in the South Pacific surviving the Battle of Midway in 1942. Upon the completion of his service Edward moved to California to settle into civilian life. There he married Barbara Rogers, they divorced in 1988 but remained close until her passing in 1996. Edward was a longtime manager of Miratti's Liquor in Santa Barbara, or as often referred to by his nieces and nephews as the 'liquorice store'. Throughout his life he loved all kinds of sports, especially following the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Chicago Cubs. In his senior years, he took up the sport of lawn bowling where he made many friends As his health declined, he returned home to Cedar Rapids and the care of his nephew Tom. In October of 2011, he participated with other veterans on an Honor Flight to visit the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. Ed will be remembered as a special quiet hero, slow to anger, loving, kind and forgiving. He got along with almost everybody, with a love for life, and a great sense of humor.