Former Washington AD Cliff Brees dies at 79

Clifford D. Brees, 79, formerly of Cedar Rapids, died August 25, 2010, at his home in Keota.  Visitation will be 1 p.m. Sunday at First Lutheran Church, 1000 Third Ave. SE in Cedar Rapids, with a memorial service following at 2 p.m.  Burial:  7 p.m. Sunday at the Keota Cemetery.Cliff was born March 4, 1931, in Rockford, Illinois, to Clifford and Ruth Brees.  He graduated from East High in Rockford in 1949.  He earned his B. A. degree from Iowa Wesleyan in 1952 and his master's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1962.  On June 8, 1952, he married Joan Jacobs in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.  They were married for 58 years.Cliff began his teaching career in New London, then taught in Rockford for eight years at East High School and five years at Guilford High School, where he also served as athletic director.   He coached football, basketball, track, and baseball. In 1967, he and his family moved to Cedar Rapids, where he became the PE Department head and athletic director.  The eight years Cliff was the Washington athletic director was one of the most successful in the history of the school, and perhaps any school in Iowa. Washington won 27 Mississippi Valley Conference championships and 19 state team championships.  Cliff also served as the MVC Commissioner for 20 years.  He also taught elementary physical education throughout the district.Cliff received the Marv Theilen Contributor Award in 1989, IHSAA School Administrator's Award in 1992, and was inducted into the Cedar Rapids Washington High School Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Iowa Wesleyan College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.  He received a 25-year active official plaque from the IHSAA in 1995 and is the namesake of the annual MVC Sportsmanship Award.