John Hugh McGuiness, 93, passed away July 4, 2026 in Venice, Florida. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, August 7, 2026 at St. Francis of Assisi in West Des Moines followed by mass at 11 a.m. at St. Francis. Burial will be at Resthaven Cemetery in West Des Moines.
John was born June 28, 1933 in Kansas City, MO to Cyrus and Helen (Streib) McGuiness. Following his graduation from Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines he attended Iowa State University and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. While at Iowa State John was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and a member of the ISU Golf Team. After graduation he went to work for the family business C.H. McGuiness Co. and retired owner and President of the company.
John was devoted to family and enjoyed time with his daughters and playing games at holidays with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His love of golf started in his early teens and played regularly for the rest of his life which earned him many accolades on the golf course from the many different tournaments he played in from DMG&CC, Des Moines Men’s City Golf Tournament, Senior Challenge, and Plantation G&CC along with over a hundred Husband and Wife Tournaments with his wife, Pat McGuiness. John also played with his daughters at the State Father/Daughter Tournament in Mount Pleasant over the years and usually only three of the girls played per year. They won flight awards over the years and when it moved to Ankeny, Iowa, he played with all six girls. Three in the morning and three in the afternoon and finally won the championship with his daughter, Sandy.
John is survived by five daughters, Terri Artis, Sandy (Steve) Cornwell, Mary Jo LaPole, Brenda O’Neal, and Debra McGuiness; brother, Mike McGuiness (Mickie); sister, Martha McGuiness; sister-in-law, Shirley McGuiness; grandchildren, Laurie (Doug) Ernst, Lindsay (Justin) McHugh, Katie (Nate) Larson, Kelsey (Matt) Gogerty, Angie (Ben) Goble, Dan (Courtney) LaPole, Jenifer (Zach) Blanchard, Shannon O’Neal and Morgan McGuiness; and great-grandchildren, Sydney and Mason Brackett, Lily and Owen Larson, Weston Gogerty, Lewis, Julia and Isabel Goble, Samantha, Abigail and Victoria LaPole, Brady Blanchard, and Kian and Jazmine O’Neal. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia (Westfall) McGuiness; parents; daughter, Linda Hansen; son, John Michael McGuiness; grandsons, Robert Abrams and John O’Neal; son-in-law, Steve LaPole; brother, Don McGuiness; brothers-in-law, Don Westfall, LeRoy Conard, and Bill Ward, and sisters-in-law, Jean Ward, Shirley Westfall and Kay Conard.
Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, American Heart Association or the National Kidney Foundation.
