Rocky Joe Waterman, 72, of Hawarden Iowa, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 8, 2026, at Hawarden Regional Healthcare after a lengthy illness.

Memorial Service will be Saturday, June 20th, at 10:30 a.m. at the Hawarden American Lutheran Church with Pastor Kandi Anderson officiating. Visitation with the family will be held on Friday, June 19th, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Porter Funeral Home in Hawarden. A private burial will be held at a later date. Condolences may be sent to www.porterfuneralhomes.com.

Rocky was born on December 16, 1953, to Marvin F. and Donna McMurray Waterman in Hawarden. He grew up in Hawarden, attended school, and graduated from West Sioux in 1973. He married Alice Marie Mapes on August 17, 1974, at the American Lutheran Church in Hawarden. They are blessed with two beautiful children, Kirsten and BJ. Rocky worked various jobs, including his father’s construction business, Mapes Nursing Home/Hillcrest Care Center, Coilcraft, and the City of Hawarden, where he worked as groundskeeper for Grace Hill Cemetery and the public parks. He took great pride in caring for the outdoors, as well as his hobby of genealogy, gathering volumes of family information and history for the past 20+ years.

Family was very precious to him. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Alice; daughter, Kirsten Waterman of Coffeyville, Kansas; son, Benjamin (BJ) and his wife Becky Waterman of Hawarden; grandson, Ethan Stotts of Coffeyville Kansas; step grandchildren, Lane and Leigha Sohl both of Hawarden; brothers, Rick (Kim) Waterman and John (Nancy) Jacobs of Hawarden, and Marty Waterman of Chatsworth; sisters, Connie Kemper of Fairmont Minnesota, Jenyce (Jack) Calkins of Amarillo Texas, Janie (Tom) Murran, Val (John) Gries, and Anna Marie (Todd) Krug all from Hawarden. He is also survived by brother-in-law, Mick (Linda) Mapes of Platte City, Missouri; sisters-in-law, Cheryl Lewison of Elgin, Iowa, Julayne Tanata of Hawarden, Mary (Kent) Jespersen of Greenville, South Carolina, and Marge Waterman of Tea, South Dakota. He leaves many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He loved his family dearly and will be missed by all including special friends and neighbors.

Rocky was preceded in death by his father and mother; special step-mother, Ann; grandparents, Merlyn and Alberta Waterman and Donald and Rose McMurray; brothers, Myron, Marlo, Steve and Stuart Waterman; sisters-in-law, Ginger Waterman and Julie Waterman; brothers-in-law, Fred Tanata and Bob Kemper; uncles, Chips and Randy Waterman; as well as father and mother-in-law, Roy and Elna Mapes.