Dr. Wendell Downing

Wendell Downing, age 95, died on May 20, 2026 from natural causes. He was born in LeMars, Iowa in 1930 to Wendell and Marion Downing. As a boy, he enjoyed making rounds with his physician father and working at Wells Blue Bunny Dairy, fostering a life-long love of ice cream.

He attended Grinnell College and the University of Iowa, receiving his M.D. degree in 1955. While working as an intern in Detroit, he met Joyce McPherson, a nurse, and
they married in 1956.

Wendell enlisted in the Air Force in 1955, and he was stationed in Bentwater, England for two years. Newlyweds Joyce and Wendell enjoyed exploring Great Britain and Europe. Returning to the United States in 1958, Wendell completed a surgical residency in Minneapolis and then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan where he spent two years as a colo-rectal surgical resident.

After a short stint practicing in Minneapolis, Wendell and Joyce moved to Des Moines
in 1965. The first Board certified colo-rectal surgeon in the state, Wendell worked for
32 years as a solo practitioner. He tolerated numerous proctology jokes and embraced his “PROCTO” license plate, a gift from his daughters. He minimized the discomfort of visiting his office with his direct and caring approach. Wendell served as the president of the Polk County Medical Society and of the Iowa Chapter of the American Cancer Society.

In his second “career,” Wendell became a dog walker for daughter Karen’s
golden retrievers. For 27 years, he ambled around the Waterbury and Ingersoll Park neighborhoods. Wendell delighted in chatting with kind neighbors and watching
the trees turn colors.

A member of Des Moines Golf and Country Club for over 60 years, Wendell enjoyed weekly golf outings with friends. Although a member at Plymouth Congregational Church for over 60 years, you would sooner find him on the golf course than in a pew. He read voraciously, studied his atlas, observed the direction of the wind and the phases of the moon, and baked bi-weekly batches of chocolate chip cookies…always with butter-flavored Crisco and extra chocolate chips. To cap off his day, he enjoyed a glass or two of scotch on the rocks with a twist.

Wendell and Joyce traveled extensively. They spent winter months on Maui where he developed an enduring passion and immense dedication to whales.

Wendell’s long life is a testament to his positive spirit and grateful nature. As a man of
few words, he showed his love by having a clean handkerchief when needed by his
daughters and offering an extra bit of cash for a road trip. Simply put, he was a good
guy.

He is survived by daughters Jill Downing of Des Moines and Karen Downing (Jeff
Marks) of Des Moines and granddaughter Hannah Marks of Brooklyn, New York. He is
also survived by sister-in-law Elaine Dunn and five nieces and nephews. He was
preceded in death by his wife, Joyce, his parents and his two sisters.

Per his request, there will be no services. Memorials may be directed to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation or Des Moines Public Library.

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