William Cameron

Dr. William John Cameron, 84, of Bettendorf, Iowa, and formerly of Keokuk, died Thursday, January 5, 2012, at his home in Bettendorf. Bill was born September 23, 1927 in Ida Grove, Iowa, the son of Alister and Mary Oxendale Cameron. Immediately after high school in 1945 he served in the United States Army Air Corp in the Philippines and earned the rank of Corporal. He attended Iowa State Teachers College on the G.I. bill. His advanced degrees were earned at Iowa State University. He married Joan "Jody" Miller at Rock Branch Methodist Church near Correctionville, Iowa. He began his career as a classroom teacher. He taught in Cherokee, Correctionville, Nevada and Mason City. He coached speech and debate. He was the Superintendent of CAL Community School District in Latimer, IA from 1967 to 1970. He lived in Keokuk from 1970 until 2009 when he moved to Bettendorf. He was employed by the Keokuk Community School District for 19 years. He held several different positions with the school district including Principal at Hawthorne Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, the Middle School and finished his career as Superintendent from 1977 until his retirement in 1989. In his ear...[more]

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life, Bill was a Boy Scout and later served as a Boy Scout leader. He was an active member of the United Presbyterian Church in Keokuk. He was a life long member of NEA. He was a member of Keokuk Rotary Club and is a past president. He is one of two members of the Keokuk Rotary club that served District 6000 as the District Governor, 1993-94. He belonged to AARP and served on state level committees. He was appointed by the Governor of Iowa to serve on the Massage Therapy Review Board. He also was a member of Keokuk Odd Fellows and served on their boards. He was also a member of the Quad Cities Morning Optimist Club and Asbury Garden Ministry. He believed in a life of service to others and that you must leave the world a better place than you found it. He and Jody enjoyed playing bridge, did extensive traveling after they retired with Rotary International and Friendship Force. They were active at the YMCA, enjoyed the arts and supported the Lee County Historical Society. Bill is survived by four children, his only son, John Cameron and his wife Kathy of Bettendorf; and three daughters, Mary Condy of Bend, Oregon, Laura Zevnick and her husband Bob of St. Paul, Minnesota, Ann Beumel and her husband Greg of Washington D.C.; eight grandchildren; 1 great granddaughter; and a sister Phyllis Bradford and her husband John of Southport, North Carolina. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his wife Joan on February 1, 2008. Memorial services will be in Keokuk at 11:00 AM Saturday, January 14, 2012, at the United Presbyterian Church with Pastor Alice Hawes officiating. Burial with military rites will be at Keokuk National Cemetery,1:00 Friday, January 13. Visitation in Keokuk will be Friday, January 13, 2012, at DeJong-Greaves Celebration of Life Center at 1212 Concert Street , from 5:00 to 8:00. Visitation in Bettendorf will be Sunday, January 15, 2012, at Asbury United Methodist Church, 1809 Mississippi Boulevard from 3:00 to 5:00. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Keokuk Community School Foundation - Dr. Cameron Memorial - P.O. Box 431 - Keokuk, Ia 52632.