Dennis "Denny" Drahozal

Dennis Wenceslaus "Denny" Drahozal, 87, passed away peacefully on November 4, 2026, at the Hiawatha Care Center.

Denny was born on October 13, 1939, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at Mercy Hospital. He was the 6th child of Rudolph and Bridget Hruska Drahozal. Denny attended St. Ludmila's grade school and graduated from St. Wenceslaus High School in 1957. He majored in Chemistry at Loras College, graduating in 1962.

He served in the Army on active duty from 1963-1965 and was honorably discharged from the Reserves in 1969. Following his discharge, Denny began his full-time career at Penick & Ford in the lab as a chemist in Cedar Rapids until his retirement in 2004.

Denny was an avid fastpitch softball player, pitching for local teams including Penick & Ford, Catholic Workman and Eastside Maid-Rite. He was inducted into the Cedar Rapids Softball Hall of Fame in 2000.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Thomas (in infancy) and Edward; sisters, Catherine Sheka, Mary Lou Sanborn, and Theresa Wieser; as well as sisters-in-law, Shirley and Carol Drahozal; and brothers-in-law, Bill Sheka and Leroy Wieser. Denny is survived by brothers, Bernard and Michael (Jan); as well as 21 nieces and nephews and their families.

Uncle Denny had a wonderful dry sense of humor, calm presence, and an incredible memory with the ability to recall spouses’ names, places of employment, and what the great-nieces and nephews were up to. He always took a genuine interest in the details of his growing extended family, whether it be sports or music, birthdays, weddings, babies, new jobs or travels. There was hardly a visit that didn’t end with Denny saying “tell everyone I said ‘Hello’!”

Denny's family would like to thank the amazing care teams at Evergreen Care Center, Hiawatha Care Center (especially Nurse Julie) and Hospice of Mercy.

Papich-Kuba Funeral Service is serving the family. Visitation will take place on Sunday, November 8, 2026, from 3-5:00 p.m., at Papich-Kuba Funeral Service, 1228 2nd Street SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52401. Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Monday, November 9, 2026, at St. Ludmila Catholic Church at 10:30 am. Visitation will occur one hour prior to Mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Ludmila Catholic Church or Hospice of Mercy.