William John Noe, 05 Dec. 1926 - 05 Aug. 2006

NOE, WEEKS, FAIR, BENDORF, KOCH

Posted By: Netha M Meyer (email)
Date: 4/7/2006 at 10:45:38

William John Noe, longtime resident of Galena, Ill., passed away April 5, 2006, following a bout with cancer. He was 79.
Noe, a native of the Amana Colonies, was born Dec. 5, 1926, the eldest child of Erna and John August Noe. The Amanas were founded by German immigrants as a communal religious settlement in the early 19th Century. Bill's childhood saw the end of the old commune and the transformation of the Amana Society into a modern corporation. He graduated from high school in 1945.

Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy right after graduating and served his country at Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago. Following his discharge in 1951, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, and studied music and art at Cornell College, Mount Vernon, where he met and married his first wife, Elaine Fair, in 1952. Together they had two children, William John Jr. and Barbara Elaine.

Bill and family made their home in Amana, where he worked as an engineer and designer first at Collins Radio and then at Amana Refrigeration, where he spent more than a decade. He then moved to Grinnell, and joined the research and development department of Maytag. At work, he was highly regarded for his ability to create precise and accurate technical drawings, and he had several patents to his credit, including a special component used in many Maytag dishwashers. He was the first in the R and D division to master CAD-CAM technology.

Bill and his second wife, Jo McClymond Weeks, were married in 1973. They lived in Newton, Iowa, until retirement, then relocated to Galena, Ill.

Bill, a man of well-rounded character and diverse talents, a soft-spoken but vivid, kindly and engaging personality, enjoyed travel, sailing, flying, tennis and, in later years, RV adventures. At Galena, he and Jo pooled their talents in a variety of community activities, earning the respect and appreciation of many. Bill, a longtime member of Galena United Methodist Church, volunteered as choir member and musician, secretary and treasurer. He was a mentor for young people who experienced hardship, including a talented ex-offender whom he steered to college, a computer science degree and a high level job at Maytag. For more than 30 years, he shared music with residents of nursing homes and gave technical help to disabled people with musical talents.

Bill will be sorely missed by family, friends, all who loved him and the many, many people whose lives he touched.

He was preceded in death by his father; mother; son, William J. Jr.; and sister, Emaline Bendorf.

He is survived by his wife, Jo; his daughter, Barbara Koch of Cedar Rapids; his stepsons, Dan Weeks of Galena, Ill., Tim Weeks of Rochester, N.Y., Pat Weeks of Cedar Rapids and Jason Weeks of Iowa City; his former wife, Elaine Noe of Grinnell; and five grandchildren.

Memorial services: 2 p.m. Saturday, April 8, Galena United Methodist Church, 125 S. Bench St., Galena, Ill. (815-777-0192) Officiating will be the Rev. Dr. John Jewell, assisted by the Rev. Sherri Lowly. Arrangements are with Furlong Funeral Chapel in Galena, Ill.

Memorials may be sent to the family at 814 Young St., Galena, IL 61036; or to the United Methodist Church sound system renovation fund.

Cedar Rapids Gazette, 6 April 2006, Edition: F, Page: 5B, Record Number: 2128702