Donald Lee Carney

Lawrence — The Don Carney story ended Friday, March 3, 2023, in a Lawrence hospital, after 87-years in the making.

Don was a retired circus acrobat and a retired gymnastics coach. He also retired as a custodian with Chicago public schools. He was a retired beer connoisseur, too, upon the recommendation of his doctor.

Donald Lee Carney was born Oct. 2. 1935, in Lawrence, to Jesse James and Fern Schultz Carney. He attended Lawrence schools. He joined the Navy after high school. Long story short, that episode of his life didn’t produce the intended results. He went to The University of Iowa not long after that and joined the gymnastics team.

Don was about the best trampolinist in the world and nearly caught the attention of a national television audience on two occasions. But bigger news preempted his appearances. The first time, Alcoa Aluminum introduced the nation to its pop top aluminum beer can. The second time was the day Richard Nixon resigned.

His coaching career started in an Iowa City bar. His Hawkeye teammates knew where to go to find him. He was wearing his tattered Iowa letter jacket in Joe’s Bar when he got recruited to coach with a gymnastics club in Chicago. The rest is history. He went on to own and co-own other gymnastics clubs and work gymnastics clinics across the country. He served as an assistant at the University of Illinois Circle Campus in Chicago. His coaching and the work he did to develop competition was recognized with an induction into the Illinois USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. But his wardrobe lacked the sartorial look event attendance demanded.

Survivors include his former wife, Anita Marz, and his daughter, Monique McDonald, both in Bettendorf, Iowa; and grandchildren, Eli, Nashville; and Ella, Iowa City; two sisters, Stella Lockard, Tecumseh, and Jo Anne Connell, Shawnee; and a brother, Jesse “Buster” Carney, Lawrence.

A graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Monday, March 6, at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence.

Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Iowa College of Education and sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence.