Mike DeLay

     Michael R. DeLay, 64, of Des Moines, IA, died Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at Wayne County Hospital in Corydon, IA. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, March 18th, at 1:00 PM at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Dorchester, IA, with Fr. Philip Agyei officiating, and burial will be at the church cemetery. Friends may greet the family from 11:00 AM until the time of services on Wednesday at the church. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon, IA, is handling arrangements.

     Michael Robert DeLay was born April 16, 1961, in Oelwein, IA, the son of Robert DeLay and Marjorie Hurley. He grew up in Cedar Falls, IA, attending St. Patrick’s school and Cedar Falls High School.

     After school, Mike held a variety of jobs. He studied under a French sous chef in Cedar Falls, then worked in the medical field before joining the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, where he helped with wildlife population counts and tagging animals. Mike later attended Simpson College in Indianola, IA, graduating in 1999, with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. He worked in information technology as a software developer for companies including Principal Financial, Aviva Investors, and Wells Fargo. Mike spent the remainder of his career with TMC Transportation in Des Moines as a cloud engineer.

     As a boy, Mike made his first trip to Northeast Iowa with his dad to fish the trout streams. On that trip, they attended Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Dorchester, IA. Mike grew to love the area and returned often throughout his life to fish. Around 2013, Mike purchased a property in the countryside, where he stayed many weekends in his camper and planned to build a cabin.

     In addition to fishing, Mike enjoyed turkey hunting, deer hunting, and camping. He also held a pilot’s license and flew a Cessna. He enjoyed taking motorcycle trips and attending car shows, and dreamed of owning a Corvette. Mike also owned a Wellcraft Eclipse speedboat and often took his children and family to Saylorville Lake and Rathbun Lake to spend time together on the water. His greatest passion, however, was playing and collecting guitars, especially Martin acoustic guitars.

     Mike is survived by his two children: Catherine DeLay of Monroe, LA, and John (Hailey) DeLay of Russell, IA; grandchildren: Lorelai Gray, Annalise Rose, and Carter Johnathan; his siblings: Diane (Philippe) Rosset of Versailles, France, Matt (Jackie) DeLay of Ames, IA, and Mark DeLay of Hudson, WI; along with his nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

     Casket bearers are John DeLay, Cathy DeLay, Mark DeLay, Matt DeLay, Tim Hurley, and Mike Hurley.