Edward Breheny Jr.

Edward J. “Ed” Breheny Jr., a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa died on December 15, 2012 at St. Mary’s Health Care in Davenport.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, December 20, 2012 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Davenport.  He will be laid to rest at the Rock Island National Cemetery where military honors will be conducted.  Visitation will be from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday at the McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home of Bettendorf.  Memorials may be made to Hospice Compassus or the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.

Edward J. Breheny, Jr. was born in Keokuk, Iowa on May 22, 1924, the only child of Edward J. Breheny, Sr. and Mary (Tigue) Breheny. He graduated from St. Peter’s High School in Keokuk in 1941 and began attending St. Ambrose College in Davenport that fall. He enlisted in the US Army the following year, serving in the Burma campaign during World War II. He was discharged in 1945 and was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with 1 Bronze Battle Star, the Good Conduct Medal, the Distinguished Unit Badge and the Meritorious Unit Award. Following his military service, he returned to college, graduating with a degree in accounting in 1949.

That year, Ed began working at ALCOA in the accounting department. He later worked for the ALCOA Employees Credit Union. He was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9128 of Bettendorf and the Knights of Columbus where he served as Grand Knight. Ed also ran a tax and small business consulting business out of the lower level of his home for many years. One of Ed’s business clients was the Knights Inn, a neighborhood bar in Bettendorf. In 1966, he was given the opportunity to purchase the business, which he operated until 1992. From that building he also sold candy to neighborhood children from a store called KiddieKorn.

Ed was a big fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Chicago Bears and was an avid golfer and bowler.

Edward Breheny married Lois Martzahn in 1947. They were later divorced. To that union, and surviving him are Mark (Terri) of Cedar Rapids, Susan (Tom) Lange of Bettendorf, Terrance (Melisa) of Moline, and Sally (Lindsey) Current of Davenport. In 1971, he married Joan Elsasser. To that union, and surviving him is Jeffery Breheny of Bettendorf. Ed is also survived by four grandchildren, Patrick Breheny, Jim and Randy Bingham, and Chris Foran, and by five great-grandchildren, Nyla and Celia Breheny, Brody and Nathan Bingham, and Lilli Foran.

Edward was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Joan, his ex-wife Lois, and an infant son, Christopher.