Legacy of Educator Mary K. Williams to Benefit Waterloo Students and Community

The Waterloo Community Foundation and the Waterloo Schools Foundation are honored to share the legacy of Mary K. Williams, whose lifelong commitment to education and community will continue to make an impact for generations to come.

Mary K. Williams passed away in 2025 at the remarkable age of 107. A dedicated educator, Mary K. spent 40 years as a kindergarten teacher, including 36 years serving students in Waterloo Community Schools at Whittier and Longfellow elementary schools. Even after retiring from teaching in 1980, Mary K. remained deeply connected to the community she devoted her life to.

Through her estate, Mary K. made a generous planned gift reflecting the people, causes, and institutions that mattered most to her. Gifts were given to the Waterloo Schools Foundation and the Waterloo Community Foundation, with $1.8 million benefiting each Foundation.

Mary K.’s gift to the Waterloo Schools Foundation honors her lifelong commitment to public education and love for the classroom. The legacy gift will directly support students and educators within Waterloo Community Schools by expanding opportunities for family and parental involvement to increase student academic success through the establishment of the Mary K Williams Endowment Fund.

Waterloo Schools Foundation Executive Director, Hannah Luce, says, “As a lifelong educator, Mary K. built her legacy on helping others, and the Waterloo Schools Foundation is honored to carry that legacy forward for Waterloo Schools students and families for generations.”

Mary K.’s gift to the Waterloo Community Foundation represents her deep love for Waterloo by providing support for education and initiatives that benefit the community. Part of her gift creates the Mary K. Williams Fund, a Donor Advised Fund that will provide continued support for nonprofit organizations serving the community. The remainder establishes the Mary K. Williams Scholarship Fund, an endowed scholarship that will help students pursue post-secondary education. 

Waterloo Community Foundation Executive Director, Erin Tink, says, “The generosity Mary K. has shown to our community is truly inspiring, and her gift will make a meaningful difference in Waterloo. We are grateful for Mary K.’s life, service, and the impact she continues to have on future generations”.

Mary’s legacy reflects a commitment to education, opportunity, and quiet generosity - values she continues to share with the Waterloo community for years to come.

About the Waterloo Schools Foundation

The Waterloo Schools Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization founded to support, enhance, and promote excellent educational opportunities in the Waterloo Community School District. The WSF works to ensure all students have access to the resources necessary for them to thrive academically. In the past 15 years, the Foundation has gifted over $3 million into the Waterloo Schools. For more information, please visit www.wcsfoundation.org or call 319-214-0134.

About the Waterloo Community Foundation

The Waterloo Community Foundation was established in 2015 for the long-term benefit of the community of Waterloo. The mission of the Foundation is to provide a lean, straightforward, and transparent conduit vehicle to those who wish to contribute resources for the betterment of the greater Waterloo, Iowa, community and its citizens. For more information on this Waterloo-based organization, contact the Foundation office at 319-883-6022 or visit www.wloocommunityfoundation.org.