BROZ, William Joseph 'Bill' 1949 - 2015
BROZ, SMELTZER
Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/21/2015 at 20:41:43
"The Fairfield Ledger"
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Page 8William Joseph 'Bill' BROZ
Bill BROZ died on Saturday, May 9th, at his home, 1925 Ash Ave., north of Batavia. A short memorial service will be held there on Friday May 29th at 3 p.m. Bill's family would appreciate any memorial donations to be given to the donor's local library.
William Joseph BROZ was born in 1949 to William Jerome BROZ and Wilma Genevieve SMELTZER. He graduated in 1968 from Dowling High School in Des Moines, Iowa.
Bill BROZ was best known as a teacher and touched the lives of thousands of high school and college students in Iowa, as well as many more students in Illinois and Texas. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1972, and began his teaching career at Prairie High School before a 25-year tenure at Fairfield High School as a literature and writing teacher. Bill loved encouraging his students to write and share their work.
In 1996 Bill earned his Ph.D. in English education from the University of Iowa and taught as a college professor at Western Illinois University, then the University of Northern Iowa, and finally the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley until his death in 2015.
One of Bill's recently published academic articles was entitled "Not Reading: the 800 Pound Mockingbird in The Classroom." He wrote passionately about student engagement, and received hundreds of responses from educators about his article, as well as invitations to speak about his methods.
Bill and his family were well established in rural Batavia. After marrying his wife Virginia, Bill constructed a log house with help from his friends. Bill and Virginia raised two sons, Nick and Frank, in an enriching landscape including a pond for fishing, swimming, and ice skating, as well as a yearly vegetable garden, many acres of timber, and an impressive library of books.
Bill and Virginia formed an amazing partnership during their marriage. They complimented and complemented each other over many decades of family, academic, and homestead accomplishments.
Bill's family deeply feels the loss of his spirit and his endless imagination for projects. Bill is survived by his wife Virginia, sons Nick and Frank, daughter-in-law Kimberly, and grandson Henry. He is also survived by his brothers, John and Mike, whose friendship he treasured.
He loved corresponding with friends and colleagues, and he loved giving advice. Bill was a connoisseur of both cookies and pie. Bill followed the Iowa Hawkeyes closely, and his favorite musician was Bob Dylan, by far. Bill believed that there was a perfect book for every person, and he believed he could be the one to find it for them. For comfort, insight, and inspiration, Bill read Mark Twain. We will all suffer from his absence, and benefit from his life in large and small ways.
Please share any memories of Bill or thoughts you would like to express on www.billbroz.com.
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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.
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