Glenys Owen (Parry) Williams

GLENYS OWEN (PARRY) WILLIAMS

Coralville

Glenys Owen (Parry) Williams, recently of Coralville, Iowa, passed away on Jan. 2, 2018. She had recently moved to Muskegon, Mich., to reside near her son after more than 40 years in Iowa City. She was born in Cardiff, Wales, on Nov. 9, 1928, to Constance Lillian (Griffiths) and Owen Brynnog Parry.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father; and by her husband of 61 years, Terence H. (Terry) Williams.

She is survived by her brother, Eldryd Parry (Helen), of London; by her three children, Ruth Simonson (Steve), Jonathan (Chung) and Jeremy (Tamara); and by five grandchildren, Caleb, Michael, Andrew, Amy and Tom.

As a girl, Glenys attended Badminton School in Bristol, England, and Howell's School in Cardiff, Wales. She received medical degrees from the University of Wales (BSc 1950, MBBCh 1953), following the lead of her parents, who were both family doctors. After medical school, she met Terry, and they married in 1956.

In 1964, the family immigrated to the United States, living in Boston, Charlottesville, Va., New Orleans and the Iowa City area. In 1973, she returned full-time to medicine in the family practice department at the University of Iowa. She was a caring physician, mentoring physicians in training before her retirement 20 years later. She advocated better care for the elderly, publishing scholarly works about the treatment of elderly patients, and serving on the Governor's Commission on Aging. She also sat on local boards and agencies that serve the elderly.

Glenys was committed to her faith and to St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, where she served as an elder for some time, and was very active in the prayer ministry. In retirement, she committed herself to Terry's full-time care until she could no longer manage it. She loved gardening and walking. She was positive, bright, endlessly considerate and deeply loved by family and friends.

Memorials are directed to St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 140 Gathering Place Lane, Iowa City, IA 52246. Services will be announced through St. Andrew and through Lensing Funeral Home.