East High School Alum Cory Mozak, 41, Shaw Industries Employee and Youth Hockey Coach, Passes Away
Sioux City lost one of its brightest personalities on May 23, 2026, when Cory Michael “Moose” Mozak passed away at the age of 41.
Born on September 28, 1984, to Jeanne (Hansen) and Tim Mozak, Cory grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and spent his life leaving an impression on nearly everyone he met.
He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a coach, and a friend. To those who knew him best, he was simply someone who made the room better just by walking into it.
Cory attended East High School before heading to Helena, Montana, to play junior hockey, a sport that would define much of his identity and legacy. He went on to attend the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where he continued playing hockey at the collegiate level.
After school, he returned home to Siouxland and channeled his love for the game into coaching with Siouxland Youth Hockey and the Sioux City Metros.
He coached alongside his brothers, and those who watched him on the ice with young players saw the same energy and warmth that defined every other part of his life.
The Family Man Behind the Big Personality
In August of 2013, Cory married Nicole McSweeney, and together they built a family that became the center of his world. Their three children, Kennedey, Kerrigan, and Collin, were what he considered his greatest accomplishment in life.
No trophy, no title, and no achievement came close to the pride he felt as their father.
His former wife, Nicole, reflecting on his passing, spoke of his ability to make her laugh even in moments of frustration, a testament to the kind of person he was at his core.
Professionally, Cory worked at the family business, Mozak’s Furniture and Flooring, before later joining Shaw Industries. That position eventually relocated his family to St. Louis, a move that took him away from Sioux City but never changed who he was.
Wherever he landed, Cory found a way to connect with people and build a community around him.
A Light That Touched Many Lives
Those who crossed paths with Cory describe him in remarkably consistent terms: charismatic, funny, warm, and genuinely magnetic. He had a gift for making people feel seen and included. He made friends easily and held onto them.
His larger-than-life personality was not a performance but simply how he moved through the world, and it left lasting impressions on an enormous number of people across different chapters of his life.
He is survived by his children, Kennedey, Kerrigan, and Collin; his mother, Jeanne Hansen; his father, Tim Mozak; his brothers, Brant and Trent Mozak; his stepmother, Tracey Mozak; stepbrothers Keaton Rowe and Hunter Rowe; and a wide circle of family and friends who will carry him forward in memory and story.
His family has asked that in lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Cory consider donating to the memorial fund established in his name at Siouxland Youth Hockey at siouxcityhockey.com/donate.
Cory’s family hopes the world remembers him not for his struggles but for his laughter, his love, and the joy he so freely gave.
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