Jack Bruchmann

On the evening of August 10th, 2015, Jack Peter Bruchmann of Bettendorf, Iowa died peacefully in his sleep at Manor Care Utica Ridge, Davenport, Iowa.

Jack was born in Davenport, Iowa on November 25th, 1930 to John P. and Irene (Behrens) Bruchmann. The Bruchmanns were one of the first families to settle in the Village of East Davenport, and like the generations before him, Jack grew up in the Village. His father owned Bruchmann’s Tavern at the location of the current McClellan Stockade; the building was still owned by Jack at the time of his death. While he did not join the family business, Jack loved the Village and for decades was an active member as well as president of the Village of East Davenport Association.  In 1984 he received an award from the National Historic Society for restoring the family building to its original ca. 1867 condition.  His colleagues remark that his passion and hard work are visible throughout the Village today.

Jack graduated from Davenport High School in 1948.  A source of much “Blue Devil” pride for him was the fact that all four of his daughters would go on to graduate from his alma mater (Now CHS).   Subsequently, Jack attended the University of Illinois on a football scholarship and was part of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

Following college, Jack returned to the Quad Cities where he began a 50 year career in commercial insurance and risk management.  Most of those years were spent with Western Insurance Company from which he retired as Division Claim Manager.  After his short retirement, he worked for several years for The McCarthy Improvement Company as a Risk Manager.  During his business years Jack earned various insurance degrees including his CPCU.  He was a member and past officer of the Quad City Claims Association, the Quad City CPCU Chapter, the Quad City Insurance Education Council and the Quad City Inter Company Arbitration panel.

Jack’s home in Bettendorf overlooked the Mississippi River and he loved to spend many hours just watching the river flow past. He served on Davenport’s River Front Task Force and worked on the original plans to revitalize the downtown and to preserve its beautiful river view.

In his free time Jack enjoyed gardening, was an avid reader especially of the Great Books, worked out at Nautilus regularly, and was an accomplished ballroom dancer. Even late in life, he danced in exhibitions and competitions locally and across the country. He especially loved to swing dance and could be found dancing nearly every weekend somewhere in the Quad Cities.  He was also an Iowa Hawkeye Football season ticket holder for over 40 years and cheered on the Hawks during both good seasons, and more often, bad. Jack was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport for over 40 years.

Jack’s quiet gentle manner and his charm will be missed by all.

Jack is survived by his four daughters: Kristin Bruchmann, Davenport, IA, Beth Graham (Gary) Roswell, GA, Alison Burden (TJ) Alpharetta, GA, and Dr. Katy Bruchmann (Dr. Tim Wifall) Santa Clara, CA and his beloved grandsons Donovan and Broderick O'Linn, Roswell, GA.

Visitation will be held at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home, next door to his beautiful home on Friday August 14th from 4 to 7 pm. Private services and interment will be held at a later date.  Memorials may be made to the Village Preservation Foundation, a charitable organization that Jack helped establish with the purpose of maintaining the Village of East Davenport as a vibrant community and keeping its history alive for generations to come.

Special thanks to the staff at Manor Care for loving Jack, providing him with great quality of life, and treating him with such tender care during his final days.