Gary Albert Haas, 73, of Des Moines (formerly of Dubuque) passed away on Monday, October 5, 2026 at Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. A visitation will be held at 9:00 a.m., on Friday, October 9, 2026, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, IA.  Funeral services will follow the visitation at Behr Funeral home, at 10:15 a.m., with Deacon Bill Biver officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery following the funeral.

Gary was born on November 2, 1952, in Dubuque, son of Rosemary (Mussmann) and Wilbert “Bill” Haas.

Gary attended Sacred Heart Catholic School and Wahlert High School, graduating in 1971. He worked at Georgia Pacific until starting his contractor business “Gary A. Haas Construction.”  Gary was a gifted woodworker.  He loved testing ideas from “This Old House” and “New Yankee Workshop.”

Gary met Annette Strain at Backbone State Park while each of them were camping with friends.  They were married on May 22, 1976 in Dubuque, IA, recently celebrating their golden 50-year anniversary.

Gary was a proud member of the “Old Man River” band, where he played guitar, with his best friends either in the band or watching the shows.  His mother Rosie was often in the audience  dancing.  The birth of his daughter Julia happily ruined his rockstar dreams.

Aside from his love of music, Gary enjoyed fishing, making lures, camping, movies, crossword puzzles, and stand-up comedy.  He had a great sense of humor. He could answer most of the questions on Jeopardy!, and was an excellent Trivial Pursuit teammate. He was also a great cook.

Those left to cherish Gary’s memory include:

his wife, Annette (Strain) Haas, Des Moines (formerly Dubuque); his daughter Julia Haas (Paul Van Weelden), Des Moines; his grandson Finn DeDoncker; Finn’s father Matt  (Michelle) DeDoncker;

his siblings, Kathy (Pat) Chamberlain, Rochester, MN; Pam (Steve) Hiatt, Dubuque, IA;

his siblings in law, Jennifer Wilson, Jeff Strain, Drew Strain, Linda Sankey;

his nieces and nephews,
Jordan, Jessica, Jason, Jack, Rachel, Chelsea, Jocelyn, Tessa, Susan, Sarah, Abigail, Nathan, and Lilian;

his great-nieces and nephews; and a great-great niece

Gary was preceded in death by his father, Wilbert “Bill” Haas; his mother Rosemary Haas, his brother Tom, a sister in infancy, Patricia Ann, and his parents in law Richard and Belva Strain.

The family wishes to thank Ashley Allen, his favorite nurse at Fleur Heights, and their supporting staff, as well as the nurses and doctors at Unity Point Hospitals in Des Moines.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com