John E. Hand

John E. Hand, 69, of Marshalltown passed away unexpectedly at his home Friday, December 4, 2020. In accordance with John’s wishes, cremation rites have been given and no service is planned at this time. A family led celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be directed to his family for a later designation; in his memory, do something nice for someone. John was born on March 25, 1951 in Ames, IA, the son of Eldin and Loretta (Monson) Hand. He grew up in Ames and graduated from Ames High School in 1969. In 1970, John accepted employment as an outside line repairman for Northwestern Bell in Marshalltown, retiring from Century Link in 2008 after 38 years of continuous service with the company. He was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America. On April 29, 1972, he was united in marriage to Barbara Ann Leaton in Marshalltown. John had a tremendous talent and passion for handy work, and he especially enjoyed building custom scale model cars, collecting antique cars, and sharing his interests with his friends and family. He was a member of the Marshalltown Area Restorers Club and the Antique Auto Club of America. Those left to cherish his memory are the love of his life and his wife of 48 years, Barbara; his son John II; grandsons Carter and Noah; mother-in-law Lillian Leaton; sister-in-law Linda Leaton;  brother-in-law, Rick (Vicki) Leaton, several close cousins with whom he grew up, a niece and nephew, and many special friends that he considered family. In eternal life, John has been reunited with his parents and father-in-law, Jack Leaton.The Mitchell Family Funeral Home has been entrusted with caring for John and his family. For further information or to send his family a condolence, please visit mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.