Obituaries : William "Will" Whittaker Bryan

William "Will" Whittaker Bryan, 59, of Shellsburg, Iowa, formerly of Springville, Iowa and Melbourne, Fla., passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, while visiting Bloomington, Minn. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at Springville United Methodist Church in Springville, with a Memorial Service following. Per Will's wishes his remains were cremated and a private family burial will held at a later date.

Will was born on July 28, 1964, in Jacksonville, Fla., the son of William Richard Bryan Jr. and Jill Mary Blyth Bryan. He was a graduate of Springville High School and went on to attend the University of Iowa and Brown College in Minneapolis, Minn.

After graduation from High School, Will embarked on his lifelong journey of entertaining people and built himself a reputation as one of the best DJ's many people have ever had the opportunity to work with. He moved to Minneapolis to attend Brown Institute, which kicked off his career as an on-air radio DJ. He also worked as a DJ in Colorado, California, and Florida, where he eventually settled down and was awarded with his own Complete Music franchise from 2008 until 2015, when his health began to deteriorate. To provide Will with the best quality of life and care he deserved, he decided to move to Iowa, arriving on Dec. 21, 2021, where he lived with his mom, sister, and other immediate family members. He knew he was immensely loved and cared for and always expressed how lucky and grateful he was to be able to be living in Iowa again with his immediate family. It also gave him the opportunity to reconnect with many friends from over the years, for which he was also grateful. Will, you were one of the kindest souls throughout everything you endured. We love you and miss you so very much.

Will is survived by and lovingly remembered by his mother, Jill Bryan Robertson of Shellsburg, his sister, Sarah Lynn (Craig) Hefel of Shellsburg; nieces, Justine, Alyssa (Cameron), Rylee (Alex), and Keirstyn; great-nephew, Brysen; step-grandmother, Debbie Bryan of Tappahannock, Virginia; as well as many other family members and friends, many of whom were considered family to him.

He was preceded in death by his father, William Richard Bryan Jr.; niece, Nicole Lynne; paternal grandparents, William Richard Bryan Sr. and Vivien Garnett; maternal grandparents, Herbert John and Olive Mary Blyth; aunt, Susan Molbeck Blyth; and stepfather, Dan Robertson.

Will and his family are truly appreciative of all the services and care he received from Millenium Therapy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Lutheran Living Communities Home Health Agency in Vinton, Iowa.

Charitable donations in Will's memory may be directed to Springville Memorial Library Book Fund located at 264 Broadway, Springville, Iowa; Wildthunder Wildlife and Animal Rehab at 2584 Henley Ave, Independence, Iowa; KBUT radio station in Crested Butte, Colorado; American Neurological Association; or to the charity of your choice.

Please share memories of Will at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.