It literally was a gift from heaven.
Jennifer Banta, president and CEO of the United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties, couldn’t believe it when she learned of her organization’s donation from the estate of the late Delbert D. “Del” Disselhorst. “His support to numerous nonprofit organizations is astounding and will be tremendously impactful. We are so grateful.”
The United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties will receive a total of $271,429 in unrestricted funds form the Disselhorst estate. This gift is proving to be instrumental in fortifying the future of the organization and enabling it, in turn, to do more for the community.
A Permanent Home
The organization had been struggling in tight rented office space and had looked at larger spaces to rent. When news of the estate gift came in, the team quickly began exploring other options. After careful consideration and input from the board of directors, the United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties has agreed to purchase space at 160 Southgate, Suite A. The Disselhorst estate gift provides the down payment for this space AND the resources for other organizational improvements.
This 3,000 SF space will allow for team offices, a conference room, and work spaces where volunteers can help prepare for such large events as the Ready, Set, School! Supply drive and the organization’s biggest annual fundraiser The Power of the Purse.
In addition, this estate gift is enabling the United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties to advance initiatives aligned with the Stronger Together Community Roadmap and to make one-time technology improvements and investments in the organization’s brand, website, and marketing efforts.
“Dr. Disselhorst’s gift is inspirational,” explained Banta. “He thoughtfully developed plans that would help numerous organizations that he believed in. We are honored to be one of those organizations.”
A Lasting Legacy and Monumental Impact
Through his Last Will and Testament, Disselhorst provided funding to 13 organizations, many of them in the Iowa City area. Among those receiving support are the Crisis Center, Iowa City Hospice, ICARE, Habitat for Humanity, the Heritage Area Agency on Aging, the Ronald McDonald House, and the American Cancer Society. In addition, he supported several organizations in his Hamilton, Illinois, where he went to school.
The Man and His Music
Delbert Disselhorst was born in 1949 in Keokuk, Iowa before he and his family moved to Hamilton, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois and received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Germany where he was a student of the prominent Bach scholar/performer Helmut Walcha. He returned to the U.S. and earned a Master of Music degree in organ from the University of Illinois.
He taught at several institutions and later earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1970 from the University of Michigan. He came to the University of Iowa where he was a Professor of Organ from 1970 until his retirement in 2008.
As a concert artist, he played recitals and gave masterclasses throughout the United State and in Germany, France, Denmark, and Korea. He was a guest artist at numerous international festivals and concert series and played in such distinguished churches as the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and the Trier Cathedral in Germany.
In his free time, he volunteered for the Crisis Center and Free Lunch Program and served on the board of directors for the Iowa City Early Keyboard Society. He had a tremendous impact on the many university students he taught through the years, many of whom he considered family. He passed on September 1, 2022 at the age of 83. A recording of a March 28, 1999 all-Bach recital is available here.