William Brennan

William “Bill” J.J. Brennan, 90, formerly of Newton, died Jan. 23, 2019. A memorial service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 13 at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory in Newton. The family will greet friends from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service.

William J.J. Brennan, the son of William L. and Agnes (Lynch) Brennan, was born July 3, 1928, in Boston, Mass. He graduated from Hyde Park High School. Bill enlisted in the Navy in 1945 and became a hospital corpsman. He saw the world, with his tours taking him to India, Japan, Malaysia and the Marshall Islands. He was recalled for the Korean War and received an honorable discharge in 1953 as an HM1.

Bill married Dona L. Bucklin July 10, 1949. In 1953, he joined The Maytag Company as a part-time bookkeeper. He worked his way up to production manager for Plants 1 and 2, retiring after 39 years of service.

Bill was also a public speaker, often presenting on the power of positive thinking. He served as a chapter president of the National Management Association, receiving the Silver Knight of Management award, amongst others.

He also attended the University of Iowa Executive Development Program and became a mentor to young business professionals. He was a member of the Service Corps of Retired Executives Active Corps of Executives, mentoring small business owners.

Bill and Dona retired to San Diego, where they resided for 20 years. He worked for the Convention and Visitors Bureau as a supervisor for the convention staff and an ambassador for San Diego at various conventions around the country. Bill was also a member of St. Joseph’s Parish in Lillian, Ala., the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion and the VFW.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Dona; children, William Steven and Nina Joyce; his brother, Paul; and sisters, Agnes, Mary and Peggy.

Those left to honor Bill’s memory include his daughter, Holly (Brad) Day; grandchildren, Allison (Justin) James, Eric (Bryan) Day, Adam Day and Nathan (Tara) Day; and his great-grandchildren, Grace, Madelyn and Noah James.