William Tracy Sweet

William Tracy Sweet, 86, of Nora Springs, died Jan. 25 2024 at the Nora Springs Care Center of congestive heart failure. He was a former longtime resident of Charles City.

Tracy was born July 1 1937, in Madison, Wisconsin, the son of Lowell and Edna (Hodge). Tracy grew up in Charles City, graduated from Charles City High School in 1955, and attended Iowa State University (known at the time as Iowa State College) and the University of Iowa. On October 17 1959, Tracy married Sheryl (Sherry) Bonzer at the First Methodist Church in Charles City.

Tracy worked for a number of years at Salsbury Laboratories and then became a technical writer for the Oliver Corporation in Charles City. He became the company photographer at Oliver (which later became White Farm Equipment) and held that position from 1969 to 1976. In 1976 Tracy and Sherry established Tracy Sweet Photography in Charles City, which they operated until their retirement in 2010. After retirement he devoted more of his time to his artwork.

Tracy was well known for both his photography and his paintings, and for his lifelong advocacy for the arts. He served on the board of directors of Iowans for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council. Locally, Tracy and Sherry were among the founding members of the Charles City Arts Council in 1961, and he served on its board of directors four separate times. He was president of the Arts Council in 1970, and director of the Charles City Arts Center from 1997 to 2005. He eventually received a lifetime membership in the Arts Council.

Tracy was also president of the Charles City PTA Council in the 1970s, and during that period he and Sherry helped organize the Friends of Talented and Gifted in the Charles City school system. Later, he acted as president of the Charles City Community Concert Association for 16 years.

Tracy had been a member of the Elks Lodge in Charles City since 1962. During 1970 he served as exalted ruler of the lodge. That same year he had the privilege of both breaking ground for the new Elks Lodge and laying its cornerstone. He was granted a lifetime membership in the Elks several years ago.

Tracy is survived by his wife Sherry, daughter Sally Sweet and her husband Keith Patterson of Minneapolis, and son Andrew Sweet and his wife Deena Lewis of Seattle, a number of nieces and nephews and several cousins. Tracy was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, and his sister-in-law.

A memorial service will be held in early spring. Sweet has been cremated and will be interred at Riverside Cemetery alongside his mother and father. In remembrance of Tracy, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the Charles City Arts Center.