Ray L. Nacke

Ray L. Nacke, 79, of Sioux City, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, at home.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Boniface Catholic Church, with the Revs. Michael Erpelding, Richard Sitzmann, Donald Reis and Roger Linnan officiating. Burial will be 2:30 p.m. Monday in St. Mary's Cemetery in Remsen, Iowa. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with a rosary recited at 4 p.m. by the Carmelite Guild Board and a vigil service at 7 p.m., at the church. Arrangements are with Larkin Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home.
Ray was born May 17, 1936, in rural Remsen, the second son of George and Edna (Dovia) Nacke. He attended rural school until enrolling at Remsen St. Mary’s in fifth grade. He loved playing basketball and baseball. His father let Ray and his brothers, Paul and Earl, use land for a baseball field, where they had many games with classmates and neighbors. Ray lettered in basketball and baseball in high school and college.
He graduated from Westmar College in Le Mars, Iowa, in 1958. When he was a junior at Westmar, he was offered a job at St. Joseph High School in Granville, Iowa. He coached basketball and baseball. Although he still attended Westmar, he gave up basketball but continued to play baseball.
He married Jeaneen Anderson on June 12, 1961, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Sioux City. They were blessed with three daughters, Beth, Renee and Nancy. His three daughters and their families filled him with much love and pride.
After three years at Granville, Ray became a teacher and coach at Heelan High School in Sioux City in 1959. He coached football, basketball, track and baseball. In 1960, he became varsity basketball coach. He took his 1966 team to the last one-class state tournament and finished third. His 1967 team went to the first two-class tournament. In 1971, he became basketball coach and athletic director at Briar Cliff College. He coached there for 26 years, retiring in 1997.
Ray prided himself as an example of an honest, loyal and hard worker. Along with having his faith, his family was tops. He was a competitor who loved teaching basketball to his players and how to live with the values he believed. Even though he was appreciative of the Hall of Fame honors of St. Mary's Remsen, Westmar College, Briar Cliff, Siouxland Athletics Association, and the NAIA, he remained as Jeaneen puts it, “humble and lovable." His teams allowed him to be NAIA District 15 Coach of the Year for 10 years. The Panama National Team he coached won the Central America Pan Am Games.
Ray and Jeaneen raised and raced thoroughbred horses in Iowa and Nebraska. Ray served on the Iowa Breeders and Owners Board when thoroughbred horse racing began at Prairie Meadow Race Track at Altoona, Iowa. He enjoyed watching the Chicago Cubs, and relaxing by playing the piano.
Ray was a Eucharistic lay minister at St. Boniface Church, a board member of the Heart Association, Heart Walk chairman in 2001, and honorary chairman of the Siouxland Senior Open.
Survivors include his wife, Jeaneen; his daughters, Beth (Gary) Duffy of Duvall, Wash., Renee (Scott) Webb of Jackson, Neb., and Nancy (Bruce) Helvig of Sioux City; grandchildren, Rebecca (Josh) Fowler, Ellen (Justin) Kreifels, Jillian Webb, Jared Duffy, Jonathan Webb, Abby Duffy, Emma Webb, and Evan and Elise Helvig; great-grandchildren, Gage and Gunner Fowler; brother, Earl (Carol) Nacke of Walker Lake, Minn.; and many in-laws, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Paul; and nephew, George.
In liu of flowers, donations may be made to the Flanagan Center at Briar Cliff University, or St. Boniface Catholic Church.
The family thanks the nurses and doctors of the peritoneal dialysis unit, and a special thanks to Dr. Sellers and his nurse, Linda.