William Feddersen Obituary

Dr. William H. "Bill" Feddersen passed away on March 4, 2025 at his home in Palm Desert, California at the age of 84. He was born on May 28, 1940 in Clinton, Iowa, the son of Mary and Harold Feddersen. He grew up on a small farm near Thomson, Illinois, where he graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1958. He received a scholarship to attend the University of Illinois, where he graduated with a degree in the teaching of speech. In 1961-1962, he served as state president of the Illinois Student Education Association. He met his wife Roberta at a national student leadership conference, and in November 1962 they were married in Satellite Beach, Florida, where they were teaching.

He received a Kellogg Community College Leadership Fellowship to attend Teachers College, Columbia University, where he received his master's and doctorate degrees in Higher Education. After serving as a founding administrator at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania when he was 25, at age 32 he became one of the youngest community college presidents in the country. Dr. Feddersen retired in 2002 after serving 30 years as a college president. He served for 22 years as a community college CEO/president in California, 11 years at Napa Valley College and 11 years at Mount San Antonio College. Previously, he served as president of the Clarinda campus of Iowa Western Community College, and of Williamsport Area Community College, which is now the Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Throughout his career, he was a leader in many state and national organizations. Highlights include serving as president of the California Community College CEO Organization, and as an officer and on the boards of the Community College League of California, the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA), and as the president-elect of the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities. During his career he received many awards and honors, including an excellence in practice award from Teachers College, Columbia University, the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction from Phi Theta Kappa, and the Harry Buttimer Administrative Leadership Award from ACCCA, the highest award given to a California community college president.

After retiring in 2002, he and his wife moved to Palm Desert, where he served as an Elder on the Board of Directors of Friendship Church in Sun City, served as chair and member of citizens bond oversight committees for many years at College of the Desert and Desert Sands Unified School District, and was also a member of Palm Desert Rotary Club. Bill's passions included reading, music, hiking, photography, traveling, and spending time with his family, grandchildren, and great grandson.

He is survived by his wife Roberta and two sons, Troy (Denisa) of Lafayette, California, and Clint (Natasha) of Glendale, California, five grandchildren, Matthew, John, Lucas, Anna, and Alexander, and a great-grandchild, Andrew. Also surviving him are his brother, John, of Des Moines, Iowa, and two sisters, Julia Zenk of Clinton, Iowa, and Donna Ethell of Des Moines, Iowa.

Final arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn, with burial at Forest Lawn Covina Hills. A memorial service will be held in the Memory Chapel at Forest Lawn Covina Hills on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. A celebration of life will be held at Friendship Church in the Sun City Sunset View Clubhouse in Palm Desert on a later date to be announced. William H. Feddersen