William (Bill) Joseph Ambrisco
AMBRISCO, TAKAC, WHITE, COLWELL, SEIBERT, FISHER, COLWELL, LOUDIN
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 9/15/2017 at 11:31:00
William (Bill) Joseph Ambrisco died Friday, September 8, 2017, at University Hospitals and Clinics, Palliative Care Unit. He was born January 23, 1930 in South Connellsville, Pennsylvania to Joseph and Catherine (Takac) Ambrisco. He attended St. John's parochial school through the 8th grade and graduated from Connellsville High School in 1948.
Bill worked at various factories in Connellsville before moving to Washington, DC and working in the Identification Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Bill served in the Army in Korea during the Korean War. He is a life member of the Korean War Veterans Assoc, a life member of the American Legion and the 40th Infantry Division Society.
Upon his return, Bill and Carly Malee White were married at St. Mary Catholic Church in Iowa City, on November 28, 1953. They returned to Washington and the FBI, and Bill attended American University.
In 1955, they returned to Iowa City and Bill attended the University of Iowa. He graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the College of Business. He was a member of the professional business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi.
Ambrisco made his business career in insurance in Iowa City, beginning with the S.T. Morrison Co. He was active in the insurance industry on the local, state and national level, serving as President of AW Welt Ambrisco Insurance in Iowa City, the Independent Insurance Agents of Johnson County and the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa. He served as a National Director of the Independent Insurance Agents of America. In 1977, he achieved the professional insurance designation, Charter Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). He was a Director of the Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD) and a Director and President of the Iowa City Chamber of Commerce.
His interest in Civic and Human Services activities resulted in his election to the Iowa City City Council from 1984 to 1994. He served as Mayor of Iowa City in 1986 and 1987. He was chairman of the Johnson County Council of Governments from 1987 to 1993. Other boards and commissions on which he served were the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission, the Johnson County Compensation Commission, and the Johnson County Senior Center. He was very proud to have served as Johnson County Chairman of the American Red Cross from 1965 to 1970, during the Vietnam War. He was a past president of the Iowa City Kiwanis Club, the Iowa City Quarterback Club, and Oaknoll Retirement Center, a member of the University of Iowa President's Club, the Johnson County "I" Club and the Iowa City Noon Rotary.
Notable awards earned during his lifetime were Iowa City Sertoma Club's "Person of the Year Award"; Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa, "Agent of the Year Award"; The General Will J. Hayek Award in 1995 (Presented to a Military Veteran for Community Service), and induction to the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame in 2010. Bill was privileged to be a member of an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. in 2014 and was accompanied by his son, David.
He is survived by his wife to whom he was married for almost 64 years, Carly Malee Ambrisco; three sons, David William (Beth) of Iowa City, Michael Joseph of California, and Hawaii, and Daniel Austin, Sr. (Tucker Spirito) of Chicago, and five grandchildren, Jennifer Rachael (Ben) Colwell, of Davenport, Iowa; Jesicah Elisabeth Ambrisco and significant other Richie Seibert, of Davenport, Iowa ; Jason David Ambrisco (fiance Lily Huber), of Omaha, Nebraska; Daniel Austin (Michelle ) Ambrisco, Jr of Denver, Colorado; and Toni Lynne (Anson) Fisher of Bartlett, Illinois, a great- grandson, Brady James Fisher; two great- granddaughters, Scarlett Lynne Fisher and Sophie Elisabeth Colwell; a brother, Robert Ambrisco and a sister, Dorothy Loudin of Connellsville, PA.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Catherine Ambrisco, brother-in-law, Ruskin Loudin, and an infant sister, Mary Catherine.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Regina Foundation, American Red Cross, Iowa City Community Schools Foundation, the University of Iowa Foundation Tippee College of Business for the William J. Ambrisco Scholarship Fund, and Mercy Hospital Foundation.
Services will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City on Wednesday, September 13 at 10:00 am with Father Steve Witt presiding. Burial will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service on Tuesday, September 12, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm with a vigil following the visitation.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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