| Terrance L. "Terry" Thiessen |
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White Funeral Home
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at St. John Catholic Church in Independence, with burial to follow at St. John Catholic Cemetery. A Knights of Columbus rosary will be said at 9:00 a.m. - Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the church followed by visitation at the church, until service time. Terry was born April 25, 1940, in Iowa City, Iowa, the son of Stanley Herman Thiessen and Helen Geneva (Reynolds) Thiessen. He graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Clinton, Iowa, in 1959. He then attended St. Ambrose College in Davenport, where he excelled in track and field and was later inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1963. Terry then attended Mount Saint Bernard, earning a doctorate in theology in 1967. On October 31, 1969, Terry was united in marriage to Carol Ann Peterschmidt in Davenport. They welcomed Sarah and Ben into their lives while he began a career with New York Life Insurance Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. His charisma and work ethic advanced him to sales manager in 1972. In 1975, he was promoted to general manager in New Orleans, and in 1979, he assumed leadership of the Waterloo, Iowa office. In 1990, Terry transitioned to Catholic Aid Life Insurance as regional manager for the State of Iowa. He later returned to fieldwork as an insurance agent with Knights of Columbus Insurance, where he appreciated the independence and personal connections of the role. He retired in 2005. On December 3, 1998, Terry married Judy (White) Decker in Independence, Iowa in a civil ceremony, followed by a celebration at the New Melleray Abbey in Peosta, Iowa and a Sacrament of Marriage at St John’s Catholic Church in Independence. They spent their retirement having a lot of fun and laughter together, traveling throughout the continental US, Alaska, Japan and Italy. Terry found great joy in trout fishing eastern Iowa streams, golfing, and hiking at Backbone State Park. He was dedicated to serving others, mentoring elementary students, assisting with high school football statistics, and volunteering in hospice care. He is survived by his daughter, Sarah Esposito of Glendale, California; his son, Benjamin Thiessen of Minneapolis, Minnesota; two grandchildren, Dominic and Angelo Esposito; two brothers, Gary Thiessen of South Weymouth, Massachusetts, and Emmett (Judy) Thiessen of Eau Claire, Michigan; and one sister, Winnafred Holmes of Elkader, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister and brother-in-law, Patty and Joseph Millea; his sister-in-law, Ruth Thiessen; and his brother-in-law, Charles “Chuck” Holmes. Online condolences may be left at www.White-MtHope.com. |
