Curtain Closes on Beloved Actor Jack Mishler of West Des Moines

Actor Jack Mishler of West Des Moines, remembered as an amazing talent, mentor and wonderful human being who graced metro stages for more than 65 years, died Saturday in Florida at the age of 89.

He won local audiences’ hearts in a host of roles, whether he was portraying Harold Hill in “The Music Man,” tap-dancing his way across the stage in “Gypsy” or “How to Succeed in Business” or claiming “Once in Love with Amy” from “Where’s Charley?” as his signature song.

He was most at home on the stage of the Des Moines Playhouse, where he performed for the first time in 1942 in “Ah, Wilderness!” opposite Cloris Leachman, a Des Moines native who went on to become one of the most honored television actors of all time. Leachman, Mishler’s lifelong friend, flew to Des Moines in 2007 to see his performance in the title role of “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

“It was funny to watch them play off each other,” Mishler’s co-star, Craig Petersen, told the Des Moines Register. “They were talking and joking around and ribbing each other, back and forth.”

Mishler regarded the appearance as his local theater “swan song,” according to his obituary.

Playhouse Director John Viars said Mishler was one of a kind. Viars had Mishler in mind in 2011 when he created the Playhouse’s Legends Award.

“I wanted people to understand how incredible his history was,” Viars told the Register. “From high school throughout a business career through the war – all the times that come and go in life – the theater and the Playhouse were always his home.”

On the Des Moines Playhouse Facebook page, friends and fans are pouring out affection for the actor.

Fellow thespian Valerie Pugh-Shane of Des Moines said, “Iowa has truly lost an amazing talent and a wonderful human being.”

“Even though I never performed with Mr. Mishler, he always called me by name whenever I saw him around town, either at Noah's Ark, The Stoner Theatre and, of course, the ... Playhouse,” she posted. “Sending my thoughts and prayers to ... all those who knew this fine gentleman.”

“I could talk about Jack for days,” Al Downey of West Des Moines posted, “but will just say ‘I love you Jack. You will be missed'.”

Another friend, Ed Truslow of Des Moines, remembered Mishler as his fifth-grade teacher at Des Moines’ Hanawalt grade school.

“Even to this day he called me ‘Eddie,’ ” Truslow posted. “I think it is safe to say we all loved this man.”

Memorial Contributions to Playhouse Building Fund

Mishler is survived by his wife Jo Anna (Holt) Mishler; his daughter, Sara (Mishler) and husband Stephen; his son, John, and daughter-in-law, Sue Mishler; and his stepdaughter, Kim (Holt) Wells and husband, Bob. He is also survived by five grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren.

A church service is planned in the near future at the West Des Moines Christian Church in the near future, and a special memorial will be performed at the Playhouse in the spring, according to the obituary. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in the name of Jack Misher for the new building fund at the Playhouse.

Mishler vigorously campaigned for a new home for the Playhouse, the newspaper reported.