Iowa City Community Mourns Loss of 'Quintessential Optimist'

Friends, family and colleagues are mourning the loss of a community leader in the non-profit world.

Bill Reagan, 59, who was the president of the Arc of Southeast Iowa, died on Monday after a battle with cancer. Reagan, who was once a competitive powerlifter, was also active in many community organizations, including the Optimist Club. 

"The kindest man I have ever known passed away today," Ryan O'Leary, a local real estate agent and fellow Optimist wrote on his Facebook page. "Bill Reagan was the quintessential Optimist. Rest in peace, big guy. Rest in peace."

Johnson County Supervisor Janelle Rettig had kind words for Reagan in a letter to constituents.

"He was always smiling, patting you on the back, and encouraging people. He was a prolific sender of cards.  If anything good happened and one ended up in the newspaper, a card from Bill with a copy of the article was likely on the way," Rettig wrote.

Staff at the Arc said they are saddened by the news and surprised by the death of the man who continued to work after learning he had cancer. 

“People are very surprised because he just had such a positive attitude and just didn’t let people know what was going on,” Karen DeGroot told the Press-Citizen.

The Arc serves over 500 families in a 13 county service area in southeast Iowa providing an array of services and programs for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, according to organizations website. Reagan had worked there for eight years.

According to his LinkIn profile, Reagan is a St. Ambrose University graduate and worked as executive director at Valley Shelter Homes, where he'd been for 23 years. 

Certainly, one of the more unique parts of his life is 40 years of involvement in the powerlifting world, where he was apparently among the best. 

Here's from his profile: 

"Multiple national and world titles and records from teenage to master men over age 50; past AAU Iowa Chairman; past AAU Region 7 Chairman; past national judges committee; 1979 inductee Iowa Powerlifting Hall of Fame; past-member Powerlifting News Magazine Top 10 list. Winner of 1982 and 1983 Milan Indian Summer Festival Quad Cities Strongest Man contests."

The Gazette reports that funeral services are pending.