Joseph Blough

A Memorial Mass for Joseph Patrick Blough, 95, a resident of Davenport, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, February 10, 2020 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 916 E. Rusholme Street, Davenport. The family will greet friends Monday morning in the Gathering Space at the church prior to Mass beginning at 9:30 AM and a luncheon will immediately follow Mass at the church in Denning Hall. The family invites all to join them to honor Joe’s long and blessed life. Following his wishes, cremation rites have been accorded. Joe passed away Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at the Kahl Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Saint Paul’s Church or School or to a favorite charity.

Joseph Patrick Blough was born and raised in Odell, Illinois on March 17, 1924, one of sixteen children, born to Dr. George and Catherine Marie (Colgan) Blough. He attended St. Ambrose University before enlisting in the Navy during World War II. He proudly served our country until 1946 when he returned to Ambrose. He also earned his masters degree from St. Louis University.

He was united in marriage to Mary Jeanne Nagle on December 27, 1947, at St. Mary's School, the church had had a fire that week. They were the parents of 11 children.

Surviving Joe, are his children, Teri Duffy, Portland, OR; Don (Lauri) Blough, Edmond Blough, Melissa Blough, all of Davenport; Jeanne (Steve) Schwabacher, St. Paul, MN; Angela (Nicholas) Miller, Maplewood, MN; Ruthann Fleming, Irvine, CA; and a son-in-law, Rich Garay, Grand Haven, Michigan.  His sixteen grandchildren, Greg (Jessie) Blough, Colleen (Jeremy) Nesper, Aisha (Donny) Blough, Alanna (Adam) Blough and Malcolm Blough, Andrea (Alex) Bassman-Young and Kyle (Stefanie) Bassman, Carolyn Garay and Tricia Garay, Charlie (Jessie) Schwabacher and Abe Schwabacher, Marie (Tyler) Krisik and Paul Miller, Sam Fleming, Joey Fleming and Alex Fleming of Irvine, CA, eleven great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Joe was a member of St. Paul the Apostle Church in Davenport for 65 years where he served as a Lecturer and Eucharistic Minister for many years. Some favorite times were family camping and traveling each summer to see the United States and Canada and trout fishing.  With his wife, Mary Jeanne, they were founding members of the Catholic Interracial Council and the Friendship Force of Quad Cities, an exchange program, and enjoyed traveling, hosting and making friends throughout the world. Together they traveled to six continents and over 30 countries. Elderhostel experiences were greatly appreciated, and reading and history most enjoyed.

In retirement, Joe frequently travelled internationally; volunteered with the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, the River Bend Foodbank, Habitat for Humanity, and taught English in Mexico. Family activities and visits, daily Mass and long walks to church and coffee with his buddies filled his busy days.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jeanne, his parents, 16 brothers and sisters, many in-laws on the Blough and Nagle sides of his family and his four children, Margaret Mary, Thomas Joseph, Joseph Patrick, Jr. and Mary Catherine (Cathy) Garay.

The family would like to thank the staff at Senior Star, Genesis Hospital and the Kahl Home for the kindness and care provided to Joe over the last few years.