Sean T. Maher, 49, of State Center, IA, was born into eternal life Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 1:30 a.m., at his residence surrounded by his loving wife and children, after a year long, courageous battle with oral cancer and several infections. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 11, 2011, at the Basilica of St. John in Des Moines, IA. Visitation will be 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, February 10, 2011, at the Pursel Davis Funeral Home in Marshalltown, IA. Visitation will conclude with a Rosary and Vigil service to be held from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Funeral Home. Interment will be 3:30 p.m., Friday, February 11, 2011, at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Haverhill, IA. A memorial has been established in his name and can be left at the funeral home or Funeral Mass. Online condolences may be sent to www.vogelfuneralhomes.com or Vogel Family Funeral Homes facebook page.
Sean was born April 14, 1961 to James Thomas and Alice (Flaherty) Maher in Fond du Lac, WI. He was raised in the Highland Park area of St. Paul, MN. He graduated from St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, MN where he swam and played football . Sean went on to further his education at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, graduating in 1983. During his junior and senior years at Dartmouth, as co-captain, he lead his team to the Ivy League Championships.
He fell in love with Maria Wiedmann at Dartmouth and were united in holy matrimony on January 14, 1984 at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Baltimore, MD.
Sean spent the majority of his career with J.T. Ryerson & Son, a steel company based in Chicago. After beginning with Ryerson in Minneapolis, he moved on to Boston and Philadelphia before taking the position of General manager in Marshalltown in 1999, translocating his family to IA. Sean will be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor, his diligent work ethic, and his strong leadership. He will be sorely missed by all those who were fortunate to have worked with him.
Above all, Sean was a dedicated family man.
He will be terribly missed by his loving wife of 27 years, Maria, nine children; Kilty, (25) (Bryan) Gonzalez of St. Meinrad, IN, Jack (23), Maddie (19), Mary Kate (16), Grace (13), Joe (11), Maeve (8), Jimmy (6), and Bobby (4), his parents Tom and Alice Maher of Clear Lake, MN, five sisters; Molly (Billy) Owens of St. Paul, MN, Carrie (Mike) Harrington of Glenview, IL, Bridget (Tom) Lee of St. Paul, Shelagh (Mike) Bushlack, of St. Paul, and Colleen Maher of St. Paul, many nieces and nephews and Godchildren. Sean was a proud grandparent of Kilty's baby, Joseph Benedict (9 mo.)