William Hull

WILLIAM HULL

Cedar Rapids

William A. Hull, 94, passed away at home on March 26, 2014, following a short illness. Visitation will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, followed by the service at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Rapids.

He was preceded in death by Mary, his wife of 64 years; his parents; his brother, Robert; and a grandson, Stuart Powers.

Bill is survived by three children, Patty Powers and husband Jim and Richard Hull and wife Ellen of Cedar Rapids and John Hull of Houston, Texas; grandchildren, Kristin Powers Waldon and husband Ted, Aaron Hull and Amy Karr and husband Kris; and great-grandchildren, Arianna Hull, Noah Hull, Leah Hull, Elijah Hull, Alex Karr and Miller Waldon.

He also is survived by Marie Smolik, her husband, Serge, and son, Lionel, from Luxemburg, with whom Bill and Mary maintained a close relationship over the last 45 years. Marie had been an exchange student living in their home.

Bill also is survived by a lifelong friend, Delores Peckman Wakefield of Cave Creek, Ariz., with whom Bill grew up in Iowa City, and who introduced Bill and Mary, and has remained a close family friend ever since.

Bill was born Oct. 25, 1919, in Iowa City, the son of Robert W. Hull and Margaret Clara Reha Hull. He was raised in Iowa City, where he attended Horace Mann, Longfellow, old City High and the University of Iowa until being drafted into the Army in World War II. Bill served at Camp Grant, Fort Douglas, Utah, Spokane, Wash., and Alexandria, La., where he rose from Army private to chief warrant officer.

Bill came from humble beginnings. He sold vegetables from his family's garden and realized then that he liked sales. After his years in the service, he worked for Wapsie Valley Creamery for three years, then Crescent Macaroni and Cracker Co. for six months selling and delivering. He then began working for the Walton A. Keller Co., first as a custodian and then delivering and calling on businesses. Later he purchased part of the company, which then became the Keller-Hull Co.

Bill loved life and his family. His interests in-cluded cards, golf, hunting, fishing and the Iowa Hawkeyes. He went to all home football and basketball games. He loved to tell people he had attended the very first game that was played in Kinnick Stadium. He also led four generations of his family on an annual fishing trip to a Canadian lake for over 50 years. His farm was a center of varied family activities ranging from Bill's cigar-assisted bird watching to Sunday evening cookouts.

Bill was a member of First Presbyterian Church, the Cedar Rapids Country Club and The Kinnick Society.

Bill has had very good care over the last few weeks from Home Instead and Hospice of Mercy. The family would like to thank each of the caregivers who have been so good to him.

Memorials may be directed to Hospice of Mercy, the Iowa Hawkeye Foundation, First Presbyterian Church or an organization of the donor's choice.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.