Obituary for William Earl Brown

William "Bill" E. Brown, 90, of Waverly, died Monday, March 8, 2010 at Shell Rock Health Center in Shell Rock. A graveside service will be held on Friday, March 12, 2010 at 2:00 PM in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery, 6700 South 15th Street, Lincoln Neb. Cremation Society of Eastern Central Western Iowa is assisting the family. William Earl Brown was born on January 23, 1920 to William and Matie Gath Brown in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska. Bill proudly served in the US Navy during World War II. He was united in marriage to Irene Burgess on November 30, 1944 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He received his B.A. in Business Administration in 1949 and his Master''s degree in Social Work in 1952. He worked at Family Service Association in Lincoln, Nebraska as a case worker from 1952-1957 and Exceptional Persons Inc. in Waterloo, Iowa from its inception in 1957 – 1983 as the Founding Executive Director. Bill was a driving force in the development and building of River Hills School. Bill was a charter member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Academy of Certified Social Workers, a member of the American Association of Mental Deficiency, and National Conference of Executives of Association for Retarded Citizens. He was a life member of Iowa Associations for Retarded Citizens, Easter Seal Society of Iowa and a member of the Christ Episcopal Church. Awards he received were the Professional Service Award: Iowa Association of Retarded Children (1961). The John F. Kennedy Service Award: Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council (1976), Certificate of Appreciation: Specialized Child Heath Center (1982), Award of Merit – Goodwill Industries of Northeast Iowa (1983), George J. McGee Award for Professional Service in the Social Service Field: Family Service League (1984) In his retirement Bill along with his wife Irene enjoyed first of all their grand children''s visit and their life in their second home in Cave Creek Az. where they enjoyed the weather, were members of the local rock hound club, country western dancing, and collecting edged weapons. Memorial donations may be directed to the Exceptional Person''s Foundation Memorial Fund – P.O. Box 4090, 760 Ansborough Ave, Waterloo, IA, 50704. He is survived by his 2 daughters, Jeanne (Duane) Hartwig of Waverly; Kathleen (James) Sundell of Salem, OR; 2 grandchildren, Mark (Shereen) Bierbaum and Kristin (John) Dahir both of Omaha, NE. Bill was preceded in death his wife Irene and by his sons, David Earl and John Jay; parents; and 1 sister, Violet Gulley.