William Deacon Severa

William Deacon Severa

Cedar Rapids

William Deacon Severa, 96, of Cedar Rapids, died Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at Meth-Wick Community. A gathering service will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, with a time of visitation following through 3 p.m. at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Margery (Keith) Haworth of West Branch; son, Richard Worthington Severa of Houston, Texas; grandson, William Bernardo Severa; and nine nieces and nephews.

Born April 16, 1926, in Cedar Rapids, to Lumir and Margaret (Deacon) Severa, Bill’s family lived in a home built by his grandfather, W.F. Severa. Bill began learning to play the cornet, and French horn while in school, and learned to swim and ride horses during summers at Camp Highlands in northern Wisconsin.

Bill graduated from Franklin High School in spring of 1944, was drafted into the U.S. Army and was soon playing in the 24th Division Band, serving in the Pacific. He attended Coe College in the class of 1950 and was involved in the founding of service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega.

He then worked at Cook Electric in the Chicago area and lived in Evanston in the garage apartment of his aunt, the widow of President Hoover’s first Secretary of War. He sang in the choir at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, where he met and, in July 1952 married, Joan Theresa Pierce. He returned to Cedar Rapids with his family in 1959, purchasing the home where he lived for nearly 40 years.

Bill had a varied professional life in Cedar Rapids. He was bookkeeper for his Uncle George Wilhelm’s Metal Crafters. He then worked at Hedges Realty and Morris Plan while completing work on his accounting degree. He served as bookkeeper at Matson Trucking and then Cedar Rapids Block. Bill was an officer with the Severa Realty Co. and managed properties including a downtown building, College DX and the Brown Apartments.

Bill began his true calling when his son’s Emerald Knights Drum and Bugle Corps needed more charter bus drivers, maintaining that position through the 1983 season. He drove for Charter Coaches, its successor Tri-State Tours, and then CPO Travel until he retired from bus driving in the late 1990s. Bill loved nothing more than driving and sharing those adventures, which included a trip to Alaska—driving seven days each way!

In summer of 1997, Bill and Joan moved to independent living in Deer Ridge at Meth-Wick Community. One year later, Joan passed away from complications of metastatic cancer.

Bill attended his 50th Coe College class reunion and was reacquainted with classmate Amy Colberg. They were married the following year and spent several years active and traveling together. Amy succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in January 2014.

Bill participated in military organizations throughout his adult life; first in the U.S. Army during World War II, then the Illinois National Guard and finally the Iowa Army Reserve and the Reserve Officers Association.

He loved music, participating in the Musketeers Drum and Bugle Corps, the Coe College Band (which performed at President Truman’s inauguration), the Army Band, the Marion Community Band and the Eastern Iowa Brass Band. He also sang with the Harmony Hawks barbershop chorus and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church choir.

Bill contributed generously to various Cedar Rapids educational and cultural organizations, including Coe College, National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids History Center and Meth-Wick Community. He was an active member of Cedar Rapids Noon Lions Club.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; both wives; and his sisters, Jean (Donald) Heath and Eleanor (Warren) Steen.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Coe College General Scholarship Fund. Please share your support and memories with Bill's family on his tribute wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries.