Wayne H. Wilke, age 84, passed away peacefully on August 28 at his home surrounded by loving family & friends. Born in Washington, MO to Stanley and Marjorie (Homeyer) Wilke, Wayne learned early on of the power of community involvement, hard work, entrepreneurship and generosity. The Wilke family has a strong presence in this small German town, as well as an outward looking perspective on the larger world. As a result, in his youth, Wayne accompanied his parents on several of the Missionary Trips they arranged.
While in high school, Wayne was involved in basketball, Student Council and worked at his father’s hardware store. He also learned to fly a small Cessna and drove a blue & white Austin Healey. Wayne attended Westminster College in Fulton, MO where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and earned a Bachelor degree in Chemical Science in 1961. There Wayne met the love of his life Bettina “Tina” (Smith) Wilke while she attended the nearby ladies’ college, William Woods.
Wayne and Tina married in 1961 and subsequently moved to Lawrence, KS where he then completed his post-graduation studies in Business. After graduation and the birth of their first child, Robin, in 1963, Wayne accepted a position at DuPont in Wilmington, DE. Upon the birth of their second child, Jonathan, they returned to Kansas in 1966 in order to accept a position at CJ Patterson Company and raise their family in Overland Park.
In 1982, Wayne founded Wilke International Inc., which supplied lactic acid to the food, pharmaceutical & cosmetic industries. As Wayne developed patents on products and application processes in the chemical industry, he also grew and diversified into a network of companies including Wilke Resources, NutraSense, and JRW Bioremediation. JRW developed and provided innovative products to the bioremediation and environmental cleanup industries. At this point in his career, Wayne was also actively involved in the American Association of Cereal Chemists.
Wayne and Tina were enthusiastic members of Nall Hills Country Club and made dear lifelong friends there. He was an avid tennis player, photographer, hiker, Lake Jacomo Sailing Club member, and traveled extensively. Their love for the American southwest brought them to Arizona. First to Payson, and eventually settling in Rio Verde. Multiple trips here and other adventures so expertly planned by Wayne with the kids and grandkids are deeply cherished by the entire family.
Especially dear to Wayne and Tina were the Road Scholar/Elderhostel educational programs which they enjoyed with their grandchildren.
Wayne participated in countless philanthropies for the arts, education and humanities, including funding a Paw on the Wall of Wayside Waifs, sponsoring a student’s education in Honduras, and with his parents, established the Wilke Foundation Educational Fund through the Washington Historical Society. Wayne’s passion for life experiences, and his thoughtful guidance and love have been immeasurable to all who knew him. Family and friends will fondly remember his playful competitiveness on the tennis courts, at card games, and his daily walks with his beloved lab, Georgie.
The family would like to thank the staff and caregivers at Always There Health Care for their dedicated and compassionate support provided to both Wayne and Tina. Wayne is preceded in death by his wife Bettina Wilke. He is survived by his daughter Robin (Wilke) Harding and son-in-law Bill Harding, grandsons Colby, Taylor and Sam Harding, great grandsons Jaxon, Beckett and Julian Harding; His son Jonathan Wilke and daughter-in-law Nicole Ramirez, and granddaughters Arianna and Veronica Wilke.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that you consider donating in his memory to one of his favorite charitable organizations:
● Wayside Waifs: waysidewaifs.org
● Washington Historical Society / Wilke Foundation: www.washmohistorical.org/wilke-scholarships
● Heifer International: www.heifer.org
A Celebration of Life will be held September 22, at 3:00 PM at Wesley Covenant Chapel, 13720 Roe Ave., Overland Park, KS 66224. Please feel free to post remembrances.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.17