Obituary of John Ware

Dr. John Ware, M.D., of Mount Vernon and more recently of Cottage Grove Place in Cedar Rapids, died the morning of April 27, 2012. He was 86 years old. Dr. Ware and his twin brother, R. Dwight, Jr. were born in Oxford, England, while his father, Rev. R. Dwight Ware I, of North Carolina, was doing graduate work at Oxford University. His mother, Varina Ann Cook originally from Batesville, Arkansas, gave birth to a third son, James G. Ware, a few years after the family returned to North Carolina where Rev. Ware served as Methodist minister to churches in Rocky Mount, Concord, Shelby, Charlotte and Asheville. John and his twin brother Dwight enrolled at Woodberry Forest School, Virginia, where they graduated in 1942. At the age of 16, both enrolled at Yale University. A year later, John lost his twin brother tragically in a drowning accident. John, bereft, returned to Yale where he majored in pre-medicine science and minored in English literature. He graduated from Yale in 1945. He then enrolled in Johns Hopkins Medical School and graduated with a Medical Degree in 1948. That same year he married Dorothy Dalton Deal of Charlotte, North Carolina. He served his medical residency in internal medicine at St Luke's Hospital in Manhattan, New York; interrupted by two years in the US Army Medical Corps as Captain during which time he and his family lived in Munich and in Nuremberg, Germany. Upon completion of his residency in New York in 1955, Dr Ware and his family moved to Mount Vernon, Iowa, where Dr. Ware became physician for Cornell College, taught classes in English literature, and began his private practice. Eight years later (by now John and Dorothy had five children), he left the College and devoted himself to his private practice. He was associated with St Luke's and Mercy Hospitals in Cedar Rapids. He served on the Linn County Board of Health from 1973-1978. He volunteered for several years at the Women's Clinic in Cedar Rapids and was devoted to their mission. In 1976, he re-married to Mary Kowalke Dana of Mount Vernon and became step father "John" to Mary's three children: Lori, Arden and Richard. For over twenty years, John and Mary lived in a home known for it's family gatherings, lively discussions with friends and annual community celebrations. Mary Ware died in October 2006 and John Ware, moved to Cottage Grove Place retirement residence in Cedar Rapids in the spring of 2007. Dr. Ware was an active congregate of the First Methodist Church in Mt. Vernon for many years. He later joined the First Presbyterian Church where he remained an active member until he moved to Cedar Rapids. He was a charter member of the Thomas Wolfe Society, an enthusiastic member of three Napoleonic societies and a supporter of various charitable and arts organizations. He is survived by his brother, Dr. James G. Ware, his children, Jonathan Scott Ware, Douglas Randolph Ware, R. Dwight Ware III, David Hawthorne Ware, and Jessica Stuart Ware, and eleven grandchildren. Services will be held at Cottage Grove Place, 2115 First Avenue S.E., Cedar Rapids at 2 P.M. on Saturday, May 5th. In lieu of sending flowers, contributions may be made to: Des Moines Metro Opera @ 106 West Boston Avenue, Indianola, IA 50125 Phone: 515-961-6221, Fax: 515-961-8175 Email: dmmo@dmmo.org