Gordon Dean Williams

WILLIAMS

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 2/23/2023 at 15:15:55

Gordon Dean Williams, born August 11th, 1945, died on February 17th, 2023 in Iowa City, IA. He is survived by his loving wife of almost 55 years, Patricia Williams, of Iowa City, his 2 sons, Scott Williams of Kalona, IA., and Dean Williams of Iowa City, 6 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

A service of remembrance will be held on Friday, February 24, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Lensing's Oak Hill, 210 Holiday Road, Coralville, where his family will greet friends an hour before from 1:00 - 2:00 PM. Private family burial will be held at Oakland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Ronald McDonald House Charities Inc. (https://rmhc.org/donate)

Gordon was born in Iowa City, Iowa, to Dean and Bette Williams. He attended City High School and the University of Iowa where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree. While in college Gordon enrolled in the ROTC program through the Air Force. Right before graduating he married Pat. After college Gordon was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi to study ground electronics. It was here he and Pat had their first son, Scott. Next he was sent to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey where his second son, Dean, was born. At McGuire Gordon was involved in a military radar scrambling program and was sent on multiple flight missions over Vietnam and Russia.

After his Service, Gordon’s professional career began at the VA Hospital in Iowa City. From there, through his taciturn work ethic and meticulous organizational skills, he climbed the ranks of hospital administration with posts at the VA Hospital in Washington D.C., Northwestern Medical School (Associate Dean), the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Duke University Medical School (Vice Chancellor of Medical Affairs), and finally, before retiring, Interim CEO of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He also taught classes at Oxford University in Oxford, England on hospital employee management to executives from all over the world. While at Duke, Gordon was also tasked with helping to set up the first private hospital in Singapore, Sing Health, using Duke Medical School’s model. He traveled to Singapore numerous times over a decade and was instrumental in the new hospital’s success. It would be an understatement to say Gordon had a successful career. For a kid from Iowa with a 4 year degree, what he was able to achieve isn’t even possible in today’s world. His family has always been and will always be proud of his accomplishments.

In his younger years Gordon was an avid walker. He often took his sons out to the Old Man’s Creek valley, his ancestral family land, to walk the mossy slopes and occasionally fire his black powder rifles up on the back bluff. He was different in the woods. More calm, introspective. For anyone with him on these jaunts it was a good time to have his ear. In the woods, Gordon could be an attentive listener and quite candid with his advice. Boys tend to listen better to a man wearing a Bowie knife strapped to his waist and carrying a musket loader. Before her death in 1993, Gordon’s favorite walking companion was his mother, Bette (Nan, to the family). When Gordon and his family would visit Dean and Bette from the numerous places his jobs took him, Gordon and Bette would rise before first light and set off down Linder Rd. They didn’t just leisurely stroll, the clip they walked at was more of a trot, elbows pumping, breath visible in the early morning air. Often their walks ended at the N. Dodge Hy Vee for breakfast. This became a kind of ritual for the two of them that lasted many years.

Being a kid from Iowa City, of course Gordon was a Hawkeye fan. He could be seen many a Fall Saturday at Kinnick Stadium, always arriving a little too early, always leaving the same (had to beat the traffic). Like many Iowa fans, he lived and died with their successes and failures...feet were stomped in frustration, TVs turned off in disgust, fists pumped in victory, “c’mon, Hawks!” shouted repeatedly, as all Hawkeye fans know. Going to a football game with Gordon could be a thrilling, if not brief, experience.

Gordon also enjoyed golfing and reading and vacationing with his family. He was proud to be able to take his family on many nice trips to exotic and historical destinations. In many ways, this is why he worked so hard. He will forever be remembered fondly by his family for his work ethic, his generosity, his fatherly advice and love.

The Williams family would like to thank everyone for their support, presence, and well wishes in this time of grief. We lost a good one.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

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