Byers, Donald C. – 1925-2010

ASKAM, BONTE, BYERS, HOBOUGH, MYHRA, SAVIT, WIMMER

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 6/14/2010 at 14:55:00

Donald C. “Don” Byers, 84, of Newton died on Saturday, June 5, 2010, at Skiff Medical Center in Newton.
A celebration of life service is planned for 10 a.m. Monday, June 14, at the First United Methodist Church in Newton. The family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 13, in the Park Centre Garden Room. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Newton Center for Arts & Artists may be left at visitation or at the church the morning of the service.
Don, the son of Charley K. and Agnes Evelyn (Myhra) Byers, was born on July 10, 1925, in Fargo, N.D. As a child, Don moved to New London, Iowa, where he graduated from high school. Don then received his bachelor of arts degree from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1949 and his juris doctor from Drake University Law School in 1951. He served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Don was united in marriage with Doris K. “Dori” Byers on Nov. 28, 1947, in New London. In 1951, they made their home in Newton, Iowa. Don did private law practice in Newton from 1951-1953, was the Maytag staff attorney, assistant general counsel from 1953-1974 and then was the Maytag general counsel secretary from 1974-1990.
Don’s past associations include the American Bar Association, Iowa Bar Association, American Society of Corporate Secretaries, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, chairman of the Maytag Political Action Committee, president of the Maytag Management Club, Newton Community School District Board of Education from 1964-1973, Iowa Association for School Boards from 1964-1973, president of the Terrace Hill Foundation, president of the Heartland Rail Corporation, board member of Iowa Interstate Railroad, secretary and board member of Iowa Peace Institute, which has since dissolved in to a Peace Studies Program at Grinnell College, and president and board member of the FINE Foundation, an Iowa educational research group.
His current associations included board member and chair in 1985-1986 of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, local and statewide positions with the United Methodist Church, board member and chair from 1989-1992 of Drake University, president from 2005-2009 of the Ray Society at Drake University (Life Long Learning), board member of Iowa Coordinating Council for Higher Education, board member and past president of Wesley Retirement Services, board member and past president of Project AWAKE, vice president and board member of the Arts Connection of Jasper County, chairman and board member of the Iowa Sculpture Festival, and chairman and board member of the Centre for Arts & Artists.
Don had been awarded through the years the Order of the Coif (Law); Newton Education Association, “Friend of Education Award”; Newton Chamber of Commerce, 1990 Community Service Award; Iowa Wesleyan College, Distinguished Service Award; Drake University, Distinguished Law Graduate in 1990, Distinguished Service Award in1993 and Honorary Doctor of Law Degree in 1993; National Society of Fund Raising Executives Iowa Chapter, Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser in 1999; and the Newton Rotary Club, Vocational Service Award on June 29, 2005.
In addition to his many affiliations, Don enjoyed being with his family, hiking and skiing in the mountains, traveling, exercising, painting, photography and the arts.
Those left to honor Don’s memory are his wife, Doris “Dori” Byers of Newton; one son, Alan (Dawn) Byers of Fort Collins, Colo.; three daughters, Kathleen (Robert) Savit of Ann Arbor, Mich., Karen (Kent) Bonte of Clermont, Iowa, and Annette (David) Askam of Terrace Park, Ohio; his 11 grandchildren, Alexandra Lee Hobough, Seth Bonte, Michelle Byers Wimmer, Eli Savit, Aaron Savit, Anson Bonte, Jeff Byers, Daniel Byers, Gavriel Savit, Charlotte Askam, and Audrey Askam; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Thomas.
Source: Newton Daily News; Wednesday, June 9, 2010