Willi Ware
February 17, 2010
Willa May Frette “Willi” Ware died from cancer on Wednesday afternoon, February 17, 2010. She was born December 15, 1927 in Buffalo Center, Iowa to Ole J. and Martha Frette. She graduated from North High School in 1945 and Electronics Radio and Television School in Omaha in 1946. Willi married Gerald Ware on September 21, 1946, and they had 2 children, Marty and Janis. Willi was a “supermom” long before the media coined the term and was like a mother to many, many others.
Her early advertising and public relations career years included Wesley Day & Co., Advertising Director for United Federal Savings & Loan and freelance work. In 1967, she opened Willi Ware & Associates becoming the first woman in the midwest to open her own advertising agency. Many years later, she merged with CMF&Z where she was a vice president and account supervisor before retiring in 1991. Willi was a pioneer for women in advertising and a mentor to so many.
Willi was a member and past president of Advertising Professionals of Des Moines since 1954; honored as Des Moines Ad Woman of the Year and 9th District Ad Woman of the Year; co-founder of both the Iowa Chapter of AWRT and Women’s Reciprocity of Des Moines; and served for 9 years on the Board of Trustees of the Civic Center of Des Moines.
Willi is survived by her husband, Gerald; daughters, Martha (Mike) Ohrt and Janis (Doug Leonard) Ware; grandchildren, Jason (Janet) Ohrt, Timothy Cole and Kaitlin Cole; great-grandchild Logan Ohrt; daughter, Sharon McLaughlin and her children, Holly, John and Martha; granddaughter, Jamie Hutchison and her daughter Brooklyn; sister Florence Frette; and nieces Linda Kenworthy and Pam Cochran (deceased).
Memorial contributions may be made to Valley View Village Health Center, 2571 Guthrie Ave., Des Moines, IA 50317 or Iowa Hospice, 5650 NW Johnston Dr., Suite E, Johnston, IA 50131.
Services will be held at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, with visitation on Friday, February 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. and the funeral service on Saturday, February 20 at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be at Resthaven.
Condolences may be made at www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com.
Barbara Harkin
02/18/2010
It was a joy to have known Willi. I knew her from Women's Reciprocity and found her to be inspirational and charming. I visited her at On With Life and was so pleased to find her so positive about recouperating and getting 'on with life'.
I will be out of town and won't be able to express my condolences in person. Please take some comfort in knowing what a treasure Willi was to us all and that she will be missed.
Barbara Harkin