Charles E. "Ed" Shreeves

Charles "Ed" E. Shreeves, 79, of Lone Tree, IA passed away with his family by his side after an over 10-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Ed loved travel, good food, and excellent wine. His colleagues and family often heard more about the meals he and his wife, Betty, enjoyed on their travels than the museums and sights they saw. A dedicated swimmer, Ed rose at an obscenely early hour several times a week to join his Masters swim group. His love of live music was eclectic, spanning jazz to classical to African to old school soul and R&B, and he instilled in his daughters a passion for the Velvet Underground, the Blasters, and the jazz greats. Ed played the Spelling Bee almost daily even when ALS made it difficult, trading words via email with his dear friend, Katy Koken, to chase that elusive Queen Bee. He enjoyed a good joke, and even as ALS robbed him of his voice, his family and friends took great joy in making him laugh. He and Betty renovated their farmhouse mostly by themselves-Ed enjoyed woodworking and learned electrical work so he could be certified to wire their screen porch. A second-generation librarian, he was an excellent colleague: a gentleman and a mentor to those who worked with him. Above all, he loved his family. He was able to spend his last Thanksgiving with them and several of his closest friends, although his traditional rendition of Frank Zappa's "Call Any Vegetable" was missed.

The son of Evelyn R. and Charles B. Shreeves, Ed was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia. He attended William and Mary University where he met his wife, Elizabeth, "Betty". Ed served in the U.S. Navy on an aircraft carrier after college and went on to earn his PhD in Classics and MS in Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After stints as the Government Documents Librarian at Berry College in Rome, GA and as the Medieval and Renaissance Bibliographer at UCLA, Ed became the Associate University Librarian for Collections at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, a position he held for about 25 years before retiring.

Ed is survived by Betty, his wife of nearly 57 years; his daughter, Sarah, and her spouse, Morgan, of Salt Lake City; his daughter, Kate, and her husband, Jon, and son Jon-Luca, of New York City; and his sister, Margaret, of Newport News, VA.

A memorial service will be planned for late winter/early spring 2026. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the ALS Therapy Development Institute, the ALS Association, or the Bird House, Hospice Home of Johnson County, where Ed spent his last days.

Online condolences and memories may be shared on Ed's Tribute Wall.