William "Bill" B. Showers, Jr. passed away at the age of 91 on January 13, 2023, at Tucson, Arizona. He was born to William B. Showers, Sr., and Alice (Mullery) Showers on November 9, 1931, in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Bill attended Christian Brothers High School in St. Joseph, Missouri, and played on the football team, which went undefeated in 1949. He graduated in 1950 and served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. He received a B.S. degree (1957) in entomology from the University of Arizona. Following his undergraduate degree, he was employed between 1958-1963 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a Plant Pest Inspector on insect control projects for citrus and cotton. He then entered graduate school and received an M.S. degree (1966) in entomology from Louisiana State University. He continued his graduate studies at Iowa State University and received a Ph.D. (1970) in entomology with a minor in plant physiology. For his doctoral research, he examined the ecology of insects on rice and corn. After graduation, he accepted a Research Entomologist position with the USDA, Agricultural Research Service. In 1974, he accepted a collaborator faculty position with the Department of Entomology at Iowa State University, achieving the rank of Professor in 1982.

During his career, Bill was major professor or co-major professor for 19 graduate students, resulting in 12 M.S. and 9 Ph.D. degrees. He was internationally recognized for his research on mating behaviors and habitats of European corn borer, and dispersal and long-range movement of insect pests of corn, especially black cutworm, and other noctuid migrants. He was one of the pioneers that researched transgenic corn varieties that express toxic proteins to stalk boring insects. Bill received many scientific awards and honors during his career, including being elected a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America. He retired from the USDA-ARS in 1992 but continued as an affiliate professor of entomology at Iowa State University carrying a full research program and teaching general introductory biology to approximately 200 undergraduates per semester. He retired from Iowa State University in 1995 as professor emeritus.

Bill's interests expanded beyond the realm of entomology, he had a life-long interest in the American Civil War and was an active volunteer in the community. He was elected to the board of the Hawkeye Council of Campfire Girls of America and was elected chairman of the Iowa State University Credit Union. He also served on the City of Ames (Iowa), Cable TV Commission, and was crew chief (referee) for football with the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William Broze Showers, Sr., and Alice (Mullery) Showers, and an older brother, Thomas D. Brown. He is survived by his loving wife of 18 years, Margot (Tamm) of SaddleBrooke, Arizona; four children, Margo Showers, of Reno, Nevada; Jayne Jackson (Pat), of Ames, Iowa; William B. Showers, III of San Francisco, California; and John Showers, of Ames, Iowa; four grandchildren, Quintin Jackson, Kolton Showers, Skyler Showers and Leah Showers; and former wife, Margi Showers of Ames, Iowa.

Service & burial will be held at the Horigan Chapel in Mt. Olivet Cemetary St. Joseph, MO on February 8 at 10 a.m.  A celebration of life will be held at the Ames Chamber of Commerce Laughlin Level  304 Main St. Ames, IA on February 11 from 1-4 p.m.

The family wishes memorial contributions to be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association; https://www.apdaparkinson.org/