John Daly, 91

May 19, 1934 - 

January 13, 2026

   

John Tom Daly, 91, of Cresco, Iowa, passed away on January 13, 2026. His family is deeply saddened by his loss.

John was born in Cresco on May 19, 1934, to the late Thomas and Ellen (Burgess) Daly. He was the second of five children and is survived by his sister, Mary Ellen, and two brothers, David and Steve. His younger brother, Jimmy, passed in 2013.

Growing up in Cresco, John participated in Boy Scouts of America where his father served as scoutmaster. He graduated from Cresco High School in 1952 and was his class's recipient of the American Bar Association citizenship award for his knowledge of American history and general scholarship.

John enlisted in the Air Force in 1955 where he served as a navigator. Following his service, he enrolled at the University of Iowa and received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1962. Throughout his career as a pharmacist, he worked for a number of companies, from Osco Drug to Eckerd, and even ran his own pharmacy for a period.

John met Beverly Button, an elementary school teacher in Cresco, and they married on December 22, 1957. The couple had four daughters in Iowa before moving the family to Marietta, Georgia, where they lived for decades and celebrated weddings, births, and countless other milestones together. Following Beverly's death in 2005, John moved back home to Cresco where he lived out the rest of his life among family and friends.

John is survived by his four daughters and sons-in-law: Deborah (Bill) Rich of Carrollton, Texas; Denise (Paul) Kotos of Jacksonville, Florida; DeAnne (Kip) Van Riper of Rome, Georgia; and Dominika (Brandon) Spencer of Orlando, Florida. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren: Peter (Mallory) Kotos; John (Jackie) Kotos; Will (Tayler) Rich; Tyler (Spencer) Hyde; Krysta Kotos; Wesley (Georgie) Rich; Parker Van Riper; Mackenzie Kotos; Ian Van Riper; Aidan Spencer; Colin Spencer; and Quinn Spencer; and seven great-grandchildren: Paul Kotos; Carrigan Kotos; Lacey Kotos; Clara Kotos; Milo Hyde; Thomas Kotos; and Devin Hyde.

His family will remember him as a kind and dedicated father and grandfather who was always ready to share a laugh and a Klondike bar from his freezer.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers please send any donations to Howard County Community Hospice at 235 8th Avenue W., Cresco, IA 52136