Nick Radakovich, 86, died Monday, January 28, 2008.

Nick was born on a farm south of Earlham, Iowa, grew up and graduated from Earlham High School in 1939. He attended Simpson College for two years then served in the Army Air Corps, stationed at Eglin Field in Florida and North Carolina, working on gun-site evaluations on a B17. He was an Army veteran of WWII as a Staff Sergeant. Following the service, he attended Iowa State, graduating in 1949. While recuperating at the Veterans' Hospital from knew surgery, he met a pretty nurse from Bloomington, Wisconsin. Evelyn Martin. They were married May 15, 1949 and celebrated 50 plus years of marriage. To this union, four children were born, Paul, Janet, Karen, and Phil.

Nick began teaching in the Dallas Center School District where he taught shop, blueprint reading, physics, geometry, algebra and trigonometry. In the summer of 1954, they moved to Newton where Nick took a job in the Maytag Factory, teaching physics to skill trades apprentices and working as a safety engineer. After two years, he went to work for Collins Radio Company as a training supervisor, but his passion was teaching. In the fall of 1961, he secured a job in Indianola as a physical science and algebra instructor. In 1966, he received his Masters Degree in Science Education from Drake University. He was very proud of this accomplishment and often gave the credit for his educational drive to his oldest sister, Mildred. She encouraged him to go to school, advice which he so often repeated to young people. Nick retired from the Indianola Schools in 1985 but continued to tutor and mentor students.

Nick was a member of the First United Methodist Church, a local Kiwanis member where he served as Service Projects Chairman, and the American Legion. He was very patriotic and he loved America. Other interests included taking photographs at family gatherings, attending events his children or grandchildren were involved in, solving math problems, watching football games on T.V. and e-mailing on the computer.

Nick was preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife, Evelyn, his three brothers, Milosh "Mike", Fred, George and three infant brothers; four sisters, Mildred Johnson, Mary Benz, Sophie Dragovich Ross, and Helen Riser, two half brothers in Serbia and one half sister, Boja "Bessie" Galovich.

He is survived by his three daughters, Paula Baker of Carlisle, Janet Radakovich of Maineville, Ohio, Karen Radakovich of Louisville, CO, and his son Phil Radakovich of Olathe, KS, then grandchildren; two sisters, Dorothy Davis of San Jose, CA, and Anna Breen of Cottage Grove, OR; brothers-in-law, Francis Martin of Madison, WI and Allen Martin of Bloomington, WI; and many nieces and nephews.

Nick will be remembered as a loving and caring husband and father. He was a man with a good sense of humor.