Joe Sweet, born Wayne Joseph Sullivan, passed away on January 31, 2025. He was 95 years old.
Joe was born on February 6, 1929, in Creston, Iowa. Joe’s parents, John Vincent Sullivan and Marjorie Olivia Ryan, divorced when Joe was three. Joe spent the next nine years living on the farm of his maternal grandparents, Dennis and Agnes Ryan, outside of Corning, Iowa.
When his mother remarried and moved to Washington, Iowa, Joe acquired a new name, Wayne Joseph Sweet, a stepsister, Janet, and two half sisters, Jean and Judy.
Joe graduated from Washington (Iowa) High School in 1946. He enlisted in the Army in September of 1946, at the age of 17, and was stationed in Japan in January 1947, during the occupation after WWII. He was honorably discharged in January 1948.
Joe graduated from Washington (Iowa) Junior College in 1950, and married Peggy Dougall the same year on November 23. Joe and Peggy moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa, in the fall of 1950, where Joe completed a B.A. at Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa).
Upon graduating from college in 1952, Joe and Peggy moved to Missouri Valley, Iowa, where Joe taught high school and coached basketball and football. In 1957, Joe and Peggy moved to Knoxville, Iowa…for the first time. Joe’s career made for a peripatetic life; over a span of 50 years they moved to Knoxville six times. The last one took! Over the years in Knoxville, Joe taught at Knoxville High School, North and East Elementary Schools, and served as principal of East and West Elementary Schools.
Joe received his Masters degree (1970) and Specialist in Education degree (1974) from Drake University. In 1976, he was named Superintendent of Schools at Schleswig, Iowa. Between 1957 and 1996, Joe and Peggy lived in Missouri Valley, IA, Knoxville, IA, Des Moines, IA, Lake City, IA, Red Field, IA, Schleswig, IA, Kerrville, TX, Coon Rapids, IA, Manchester, IA, Fort Meyers, Fl, and Bonita Springs, FL. In May of 1996, Joe and Peggy moved to Knoxville, Iowa the final time.
Joe will always be remembered for his love of family, his extraordinary partnership with Peggy, and the positive impact he had on scores of students and athletes.
Joe and Peggy were married for 74 years. They had 5 children – Michael, Susan, Mathew, Mark (Young Hee) and Patrick (Kelley Conway). Joe had 5 grandchildren (Katelyn Ewaskiew, Brian Abolins, Bradley Sweet, Sullivan Sweet and Charlotte Sweet) and 2 great-grandchildren (George Ewaskiew and Lauren Ewaskiew). Joe was preceded in death by two of his children (Mike and Matt).
In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting the Knoxville Panther Scholarship Foundation or making a donation to St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Knoxville, IA.
To view Joe Sweet’s Obituary click here.