William "Bill" Block

William “Bill” Block, 95, of Marshalltown, Iowa passed away on September 27, 2019 at Glenwood Place under the care of Iowa River Hospice, with his family at his side. Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home. A private family burial will take place at a later date. Memorials in Bill’s name may be made out to Saint Jude Children’s Hospital.  For more information or to send a condolence please contact Mitchell Family Funeral Home at 614-844-1234 or www.mitchellfh.com . William Samuel Block was born to Samuel Leopold and Mabel Louise (Hyink) Block on May 19, 1924 in Muscatine, Iowa. He grew up in Muscatine. Attended Iowa State University, graduating with a BS in Engineering.While at Iowa State, Bill played basketball and was on the 1944 team that went to the Final Four NCAA tournament.  Bill had the honor of being team captain his senior year. He served in the United States Navy until November 1942 to May 1946. In September 1948 he was united in marriage to his wife Ellen Dunlap. They raised two daughters and a son. Bill worked as an engineer for Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, Iowa before joining Fisher Controls in Marshalltown. Upon retirement in 1989, Bill and Ellen moved to Mesa, Arizona, returning to Marshalltown in 2017.  In his free time, Bill enjoyed tennis and golfing (he had two hole-in-ones), remained an avid Iowa State Basketball fan and traveled with his wife Ellen. Left to cherish his memory are his children Deborah (Mark Mills) Block of Marshalltown, Sandra (David) Pogge of Condon, Montana, and George (Cathy) Block of Dallas, Texas; his grandchildren Drew (Kimberly) Welp, Sara (Dan) Reynolds, Ryan (Daniella) Pogge, Jennifer (AJ) Handy, Megan (Ben) McInnis, Natalie Block, and Emily Block; as well as six great-grandchildren. Bill was preceded in death, by his wife Ellen. The extended Block Family is extremely grateful for the outstanding, loving and compassionate care received by the entire staff at Glenwood Place in Marshalltown.