Hausler Jr., Dr. William J.

Dr. William J. Hausler Jr., 84, of Iowa City, died Thursday, March 10, 2011, in Naples, Fla. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, with the Rev. Kyle Otterbein officiating. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 2, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City, with a private burial service following.

Bill Hausler was born in Kansas City, Kan., on Aug. 31, 1926, and graduated from Argentine High School. During high school he earned money playing the alto saxophone with dance bands around the Kansas City area. The love of jazz and Kansas City barbecue remained with him. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a corpsman taking care of patients injured in the South Pacific and continued as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserves, retiring as a lieutenant commander in 1966. He continued playing alto sax with the Navy Dance Band.

After World War II, Dr. Hausler received his A.B. and M.A. in microbiology from the University of Kansas in 1951 and 1953, respectively, and his Ph.D. in microbiology and mathematics from the same institution in 1958.

He joined the State Hygienic Laboratory in late 1958 as associate bacteriologist in charge of the Microbiology Section. He was appointed director of the Hygienic Laboratory in 1965 and served in that position until his appointment as director emeritus in 1995. Dr. Hausler also held a joint appointment as a professor of preventive medicine in the College of Medicine and as professor of oral pathology in the College of Dentistry at the University of Iowa.

He served as chairman of the American Academy of Microbiology and in 1998, received the first Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Public Health Laboratory Directors. He also participated in the drafting of legislation at the state and federal levels, primarily in those areas dealing with the environment and clinical laboratory regulations. He was published widely and counted among his many achievements serving as editor of many scientific manuals and text books. Over the years Dr. Hausler worked as a consultant to industry, federal, state and local governments, and served as a World Health Organization consultant in Iran, India, the Philippines, China and the Western Pacific region.

Bill was married to Mary (Rice) Hausler for 50 years. Together they raised four children. He enjoyed traveling, backpacking, woodworking, jazz, and fly fishing. Bill and Mary were charter members of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, where he was ordained as an elder. He participated in a mission opportunity to Haiti and supported the education of students in the sciences at the Bohoc Institute secondary school in Haiti.

He was married to Lois Barrowcliff in 2008 and they enjoyed winters in Naples, Fla., and many activities in Iowa City during the “warmer months.” Lois lovingly cared for Bill during his final weeks.

He is survived by his wife, Lois; daughter, Cheryl (Kent) Johnson of North Liberty; son, Randy (Peggy) Hausler of Iowa City; son, Eric “Rick” (Donna) Hausler of Ada, Mich.; daughter-in-law, Jill Hausler of Ankeny; and 13 grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; his parents, William and Clifton Hausler; his brother, Ken; and his son, Mark.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Haitian American Friendship Foundation, PO Box 3421, North Fort Myers, FL 33918; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church Building Fund, 1300 Melrose Ave., Iowa City IA 52246; or University of Iowa Foundation at

Online condolences may be sent for Dr. Hausler's family through the web at