Dr. John Ware, M.D.

WARE, COOK

Posted By: Lisa M. Ciha (email)
Date: 5/2/2012 at 15:21:52

Dr. John Ware, M.D., of Mount Vernon and more recently of Cottage Grove Place in
Cedar Rapids, died the morning of April 27, 2012. He was 86 years old. Dr. Ware
and his twin brother, R. Dwight, Jr. were born in Oxford, England, while his father,
Rev. R. Dwight Ware I, of North Carolina, was doing graduate work at Oxford
University. His mother, Varina Ann Cook originally from Batesville, Arkansas, gave
birth to a third son, James G. Ware, a few years after the family returned to North
Carolina where Rev. Ware served as Methodist minister to churches in Rocky Mount,
Concord, Shelby, Charlotte and Asheville.
John and his twin brother Dwight enrolled at Woodberry Forest School, Virginia,
where they graduated in 1942. At the age of 16, both enrolled at Yale University. A
year later, John lost his twin brother tragically in a drowning accident. John, bereft,
returned to Yale where he majored in pre-medicine science and minored in English
literature. He graduated from Yale in 1945. He then enrolled in Johns Hopkins
Medical School and graduated with a Medical Degree in 1948. That same year he
married Dorothy Dalton Deal of Charlotte, North Carolina. He served his medical
residency in internal medicine at St Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan, New York;
interrupted by two years in the US Army Medical Corps as Captain during which
time he and his family lived in Munich and in Nuremberg, Germany.
Upon completion of his residency in New York in 1955, Dr Ware and his family
moved to Mount Vernon, Iowa, where Dr. Ware became physician for Cornell
College, taught classes in English literature, and began his private practice. Eight
years later (by now John and Dorothy had five children), he left the College and
devoted himself to his private practice. He was associated with St Luke's and Mercy
Hospitals in Cedar Rapids. He served on the Linn County Board of Health from
1973-1978. He volunteered for several years at the Women’s Clinic in Cedar Rapids
and was devoted to their mission.
In 1976, he re-married to Mary Kowalke Dana of Mount Vernon and became step
father “John” to Mary’s three children: Lori, Arden and Richard. For over twenty
years, John and Mary lived in a home known for it’s family gatherings, lively
discussions with friends and annual community celebrations. Mary Ware died in
October 2006 and John Ware, moved to Cottage Grove Place retirement residence
in Cedar Rapids in the spring of 2007.
Dr. Ware was an active congregate of the First Methodist Church in Mt. Vernon for
many years. He later joined the First Presbyterian Church where he remained an
active member until he moved to Cedar Rapids.
He was a charter member of the Thomas Wolfe Society, an enthusiastic member of
three Napoleonic societies and a supporter of various charitable and arts
organizations.
He is survived by his brother, Dr. James G. Ware, his children, Jonathan Scott Ware,
Douglas Randolph Ware, R. Dwight Ware III, David Hawthorne Ware, and Jessica
Stuart Ware, and eleven grandchildren.
Services will be held at Cottage Grove Place, 2115 First Avenue S.E., Cedar Rapids
at 2 P.M. on Saturday, May 5th.
In lieu of sending flowers, contributions may be made to:
The Des Moines Metro Opera phone: 515 961-6221
106 West Boston Avenue fax: 515 961-8175
Indianola, IA 50125 email: