Friends reflect on life of Fairfield resident Tiff Widmer

FAIRFIELD – Fairfield resident Tiff Widmer got the most out of his 54 years on planet earth.

Widmer passed away on Dec. 30 at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City. Just two days before, Widmer posted on his Facebook account that he was back in the hospital fighting an infection. Medical problems dogged Widmer for the final decade of his life, resulting in both of his legs being amputated due to diabetes.

But Tiff did not give up on life. Though unable to work, he stayed busy as a volunteer at numerous organizations in Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant, and was active in his church, First Baptist Church in Fairfield. Widmer attended the church ever since he was a boy, and as an adult, he began helping with the Wednesday night children’s ministry.

The Rev. John Kermott of First Baptist Church said Widmer remained active in the children’s ministry until just a couple of weeks before his passing.

“When he wasn’t in the hospital, he was here every Wednesday night and every Sunday morning,” Kermott said.

Widmer had a customized van that he was able to drive using only his hands. Kermott recalled what an ordeal it was for Widmer to get into and out of it. He’d ask Widmer if he needed help, but Tiff politely declined.

“I don’t know if I’d even try to get out of the house given such a task, but he did that day in and day out,” Kermott said. “He was an amazing example of not letting a handicap be a barrier to serving other people.”

Widmer was born and raised in Fairfield, and lived there his entire life. He worked at Walmart for nearly 10 years, for Casey’s six years and then for Kum & Go before renal failure forced him to stop working altogether in 2010. Widmer stayed busy by volunteering at organizations such as the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center and the African Violet Foundation.

Sally Johnston, one of the pioneers of the arts center, said that Widmer was among its first volunteers when it opened in 2007.

“He loved taking tickets at the door, and always had such a friendly smile,” she said. “He always greeted people and said, ‘Hi, how are you?’ You never saw Tiff give in to his challenges. He was intent on doing what he could by himself. He did not let the obstacles in his life slow him down.”

Mendy McAdams is the assistant director of the arts center, and worked closely with Widmer.

“Every obstacle for Tiff was one more way for him to prove what a good person he was,” McAdams said.

The arts center relies on volunteers to help stuff its mailers. In 2019, it sent out 4,500 of them. Widmer spent two whole days sitting in the arts center’s atrium, stuffing one mailer after another into envelopes while listening to Christmas music on the radio.

“If you needed help, he was there,” McAdams said. “He helped with ushering, and when that became too difficult, he sat on a stool and scanned tickets. He never complained, and you never heard him say anything negative.”

In 2021, Widmer was honored with a Governor’s Volunteer Award for his service to the arts center.

Widmer was close friends with Fairfield resident Staci Wright. The two were in Sunday School together, and Widmer was one of the original volunteers of the African Violet Foundation, which Wright is the president of.

In a Facebook post after his death, Wright wrote that “Tiff spent more hours doing community service in a plethora of arenas each week than most people do in a year.”

“As the president of AVF, I am proud to say he’s been my friend since the sixth grade,” Wright wrote. “Memories of our 40 years of friendship flood my mind - some hilarious, some poignant, all beautiful and cherished. I have already been missing this big teddy bear terribly since he gained his wings. The void created by his physical absence will be felt for decades to come.”

Widmer’s volunteering also included the Haunted Train and Christmas Train at Old Threshers in Mt. Pleasant. He was active with the school district, too, serving as a Fairfield Booster Club board member.

Tiff could always be found at the scorer’s table during wrestling and basketball games, and ran the scoreboard for volleyball and football games. In the spring, he manned the microphone and scoreboard at the Dexter Apache Soccer Fields, and did the official scoring at track meets. In the summer, he covered the softball shifts.

Chad Thompson, former Booster Club president, said Widmer was a nice contributor as a Booster Club board member and a great Trojan fan.

“He wanted what was best for the student athletes,” Thompson said. “On a personal level, I always enjoyed his dry sense of humor, his word puns and sarcasm. He never complained despite his limitations and obstacles. He could have been angry and bitter, but was not. He just kept plowing ahead.”

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com