Percy Stielow

Percy was born August 1, 1943, to Leona Bessman and Frank Stielow in Buckeye, Iowa; he passed away on July 12, 2022, at the CHI Mercy Hospital of Corning at the age of 78.

Percy grew up in Eldora, Iowa, where he developed an aptitude (and love) for math and basketball. He played college basketball for Yankton College in South Dakota and was recognized as a Basketball All Time Great in 2008. It was in Yankton that Percy met his wife, Jo Ann, and they were married in 1963. After graduating, Percy and Jo Ann moved to Coleridge, Nebraska, where he started his first teaching and coaching job. In 1970 they made their move to Corning, Iowa, which became their home for the next 50+ years.

To say Percy was a successful math instructor and coach doesn’t begin to describe the impact he had throughout his career. With a Masters in Mathematics, he was an exceptional teacher who not only helped numerous students achieve success in their high school years, he inspired life-long careers for many. His early Corning years included coaching football; however, his passion was the basketball program. Over his 16 years as head basketball coach he held an overall record of 345-126, won 11 conference titles and made three State Tournament appearances with a runner-up title in 1976. He never coached a losing season and had a span of nine years where his record was an impressive 190 wins and only 38 loses. Percy was inducted into the Iowa High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989, and in 2016 he had a local outdoor basketball court dedicated in his honor. He was known as a tough instructor and tough coach who instilled integrity and dedication “in all that you do.” He had a gift for helping others to excel and prepared them well for life.

Percy enjoyed hunting and fishing throughout his adult years and became a co-owner of the marina at Lake Icaria in the 1980’s. He retired from Corning High School in 2003 when the lake became his full-time focus. When he fully retired at the age of 70, his passion turned to keeping his own backyard as his personal sanctuary.

Preceding Percy is son Mike, infant son Doug and infant daughter Angela, nephew Ron Slack, brother-in-law Joe Slack and parents Leona and Frank Stielow. His wife of 59 years, Jo Ann, passed on July 14 shortly following Percy’s death on July 12 .

Left to cherish Percy’s memory are daughter Kim Moore, husband Paul Moore, grandson Nick and wife Lauren with new great-granddaughter Arya Moore of Colorado, his sister Arlene Slack of Eldora, Iowa, and sister/brother-in-laws Karolyn and Larry Van Osdel, Jim Mahan and Kathleen Marris, along with several nieces and nephews and the many students, players and friends he touched over his career.