Whipple, William Perry

William Perry Whipple, 96, died Tuesday, July 27, 2010, at The Meth-Wick Community. A celebration of William's life will be held at Sinclair Auditorium on the campus of Coe College on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. Friends of William and members of the community are invited; a light lunch will follow in the Perrine Gallery, located in Stewart Memorial Library. A private inurnment will be held at Cedar Memorial Park Mausoleum. Arrangements by Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home.

Bill was born Nov. 1, 1913, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was the son of Milo R. and Jeanette Fry Whipple. He attended and graduated from Washington High School in 1932. He continued his education at Coe College and graduated in 1935. He met the love of his life, Gayle Schroder, while at Coe College and they were married on Sept. 18, 1937. She preceded him in death on Nov. 10, 1996.

During his days at Coe, he was honored to have been elected a member of Sachem, Senior Men's Honorary Society and Pi Kappa Delta. He was a member of the track team and a member of the Coe College Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a lifetime trustee of the college and served a chairman of the board for three years. In 1996, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities, and in 2001 was given Coe's highest honor “The Founder's Medal.”

Upon the death of his father in 1935, Bill continued the family insurance business and remained in the field for 40 years. At the time of retirement, he was chairman of Frank B. Hall of Iowa. In 1974, he became associated with the Hall-Perrine Foundation, serving as executive director. He continued to serve the Foundation as president and was the present chairman of the board.

During Bill's career he served on numerous boards. Among those were the American Federal Savings & Loan, the Nissen Corporation, Inter-Ocean Reinsurance Company, Banks of Iowa Inc., Mid America Mutual Fund and American Insurance and Industrial Fund. He also served on the boards of The Fire Mark Circle of the Americans, The Iowa Association of Insurance Agents and the B.L. Wick Foundation.

His leadership was essential as a founding member of The Meth-Wick Community, where he has lived for the last 20 years. He served on the boards of the Cedar Rapids Library, Cedar Rapids Marion Chamber of Commerce, the American Red Cross and the Greater Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Y.M.C.A.

As acknowledgment of his service to the community, he was the recipient of many awards which included the John M. Ely Sr. Outstanding Layman Award, The Community Recognitions Award from the Cedar Rapids Marion Chamber of Commerce, and the first annual community service award given by the Downtown Rotary. In 2002, he was elected an honorary firefighter by the Cedar Rapids Fire Department.

He had a great love for his family, friends, Coe College and the Cedar Rapids Community. He was grateful for the privilege of living in this city for his entire lifetime.

He is survived by two sons, John W. Whipple and wife Betty of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Dr. Robert M. Whipple and wife Sandra of Wonder Lake, Ill. John is a former resident of Cedar Rapids and is a retired schoolteacher. Robert is a retired teacher from New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Ill.

He is also survived by his granddaughter, Lori; and three grandsons, Matthew, Keith and William III; and his sister, Dorothy Buss of Dubuque, Iowa.

Memorials may be made to Coe College, The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, The Meth-Wick Endowment Fund or a charity of choice.

The family wishes to express particular appreciation to the Iowa Hospice and The Meth Wick Community Respite Care for the exceptional quality of services they provided to Bill during his long illness.

Please leave a message, tribute, or memory to the Whipple family on the webpage, under Obituaries.