Eric Cornelius Donhowe

Eric Cornelius Donhowe, 74, died on November 9, 2020 at the Bickford Assisted Living Facility in West Des Moines, Iowa from complications of a fall. He had been battling Alzheimer’s Disease for a few years prior. He was born on November 28, 1945 in Story City, Iowa to Charles Edward and Kathryn Marie (DeVries) Donhowe. Eric graduated Ames High School in 1964 and went on to study education at Iowa State University; majoring in Zoology and receiving a BS in Science and Humanities in 1970. He married Wilma May (Atwood) on October 28, 1978. He taught math and science in DeQuincy, Louisiana and then moved to Des Moines, Iowa, teaching at-risk youth at Scavo Alternative High School for most of his career. He transferred to Hoover High School in 2003, piloting a program to help students regain credits in science and math virtually. Eric spent his summers painting houses and also played a hand in restoring some of Des Moines’ historic landmarks with his own company “Donhowe’s Painting.” Of note are The Crawford Mansion, Governor Albert Baird Cummins Mansion, The Polk Mansion, The Homestead Building, The Saddlery Building, The Rock Island Depot, and The Hawkeye Insurance Building. He proudly retired early at age 63. Eric enjoyed playing tennis, capturing the singles tennis championship in the district tournament as a senior in high school in Ames. He competed for years on the Des Moines city tennis ladder, winning several divisional trophies. Eric also enjoyed watching sports, cheering for Iowa State University, drinking a cold beer, and playing golf. “E” as his friends called him, was a prodigious golfer, famous for his titanic drives. After crushing the “little white ball,” he would turn and say: “I ‘E’-mailed it!” He competed for decades in the “Boys of Summer” golf league at Waveland Golf Course and was a fixture at the Polk County I-Club Golf Tournament, held annually at the Wakonda Club. He even captured the first-place trophy one year while playing with his cousin, Mark Donhowe and friends Bob Benton and Bruce Gerleman. He is survived by his daughter Elyse (Max) Scott and two grandchildren, Micah and Eloise of Johnston, three siblings, Kathy (Gordon) Elton of Camano Island, Washington, Steve (Barbara Mason) Donhowe of York, England, and Mary (Edward) Conlow of Portland, Oregon. He also has two children from a previous marriage; Todd Hulfish and Tracy Helland. He is preceded in death by his wife, Wilma, and his parents. A memorial will occur at a later date due to COVID-19. Donations can be made to Iowa PBS, the Alzheimer’s Association, or Iowa Public Radio in his memory.