Quick Facts
CancerBiography
Mark Cady (July 12, 1953 – November 15, 2019) was an American jurist. He served on the Iowa Supreme Court for 21 years from 1998 to 2019. From 2011 to 2019, he was the chief justice of the court. He was the author of the court's opinion in Varnum v. Brien, which legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa.
Early life and career
Cady was born on July 12, 1953, in Rapid City, South Dakota. He graduated from Drake University in 1975 with a degree in economics. In 1978, he earned his J.D. degree from Drake.
Judicial career
In 1986, Cady was appointed as a Webster County district judge. In 1994, Governor Terry Branstad appointed him to the Iowa Court of Appeals. Four years later, Branstad elevated Cady to the Iowa Supreme Court. Cady was retained in the 2017 retention elections.
As a justice, he wrote the opinion in Varnum v. Brien, a unanimous decision in 2009 that made Iowa the third state to permit same-sex marriage. In 2018, he wrote the 5–2 majority opinion in Planned Parenthood v Reynolds that struck down a 72-hour waiting period for an abortion.
Other activities
He served as the chairman of the National Center for State Courts Board of Directors. He was also the president of the Conference of Chief Justices. He was an adjunct faculty member at Buena Vista University.
Personal life
Cady was married to Rebecca Cady and had two children.
He died on November 15, 2019 after suffering a heart attack while walking his dog. He was 66 years old.
