William Luther Boswell Jr.

William Luther Boswell, Jr., age 87, passed away suddenly, in his home of 47 years, on Tuesday December 28, 2010. He was born in Inglewood, CA to William (Lute) and Blanche Boswell of Marshalltown, IA. and had one beloved sister, Betty Ehrke, who preceded him in death. He was raised in Marshalltown and attended schools there. In accordance with his wishes, the body has been cremated and a private family memorial will be held at a later date.

Bill attended Marshalltown schools, until he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and fought in World War II. He was injured in fighting On Guadalcanal, and spent 6 months recuperating in Auckland, NZ. Upon returning to the US, he spent some time in Hollywood, acting in "bit" parts in movies. When he returned to Marshalltown he met a beautiful, young girl named Barbara Jean Bates, and they fell in love. They began their life-long love affair together, marrying on Sept. 1, 1945. Bill and Barbara attended the University of IA, where he was a letterman in swimming, as well as team captain, and a member of the SAE Fraternity. He was also an excellent diver, and a hilarious "clown diver" in diving exhibitions.

He began a career with the State Conservation Commission, serving as "Game Warden" in Appanoose, Grundy, and Tama counties, and later became an Administrative Assistant to the director, and the Acting Director for a time. During those years Bill and Barb lived in Centerville, Reinbeck, and Ankeny. He had been instrumental in helping Ankeny build its first swimming pool, and in 1969 became the first Director of Parks and Recreation, there. He obtained grants and monies for large parks, created for many types of recreation for all people in the growing community. He firmly believed that Ankeny should have a public golf course, on which anyone could play, and that dream eventually became Otter Creek Golf Course.

Bill had a great love of the out-of-doors, and was a skilled hunter and fisherman. He loved to landscape and care for his beautiful yard, to cook, travel, and celebrate holidays. He was extremely proud to be a United States Marine, and was the consummate Hawkeye fan. Bill was a man of dignity, perseverance, and strength of character, who was devoted to his family above all else. He was married to his "True Love" for 58 years until she died in 2003, taking care of Barbara himself during her long illness. He adored his daughters, who adored him back. He was a firm, but kind and loving Father, full of fun and silliness beyond belief at times. His love of the great outdoors, wildlife, family, and the Hawkeyes is alive and well in his daughters, as well as his 3 beloved grandchildren.

Left to cherish Bill's memory are his daughters Debra Boswell of West Des Moines and Diane (Randy) Miller of Clive; his grandchildren: Ben Miller of Denver, CO, Luke Miller of Scottsdale, AZ, and Laura Miller of West Des Moines, nieces and a nephew, as well as wonderful friends.

Condolences may be sent to the family in care of Ankeny Funeral Home. Memorials may be directed to the family, who will designate a memorial in some form for the Ankeny Parks and/or the Univ. of IA Athletic Dept. He would say: "On Iowa!" and "Semper Fi!"