Wayne Decker

Until the very end, Wayne Decker kept up his wonderful sense of humor, and his eagerness for learning never waned. Resourceful and a good provider for the family entrusted to his care, Wayne was generous with his time and resources. Although he lived by the school of hard knocks, Wayne learned from earlier years of struggle. He was frugal to a point, but in his heart he lived like a king. Gone but never to be forgotten, Wayne Decker lives on in the hearts of many.

Wayne was born on January 30, 1925 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was the son of Harry and Lora (Tefft) Decker, and the oldest child in his family, he later welcomed two younger sisters. Wayne's father worked at Gibson Guitar to support their family. During Wayne's childhood, the Roaring Twenties gave way to times of hardship with the onset of the Great Depression. Life for all was difficult, and many sacrifices were made adjusting to financial struggles from coast to coast. It was especially hard on Wayne and his family when his father sadly died in 1940 due to kidney failure. Left with three children to raise alone, Wayne's mother began working at the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company in Kalamazoo to make ends meet.

As a youngster, Wayne helped out by working a paper route and went on to work at the Kalamazoo Country Club as a caddy. Along with his studies, he was a busy young man who helped provide for his family. He learned to be resourceful from a young age, and it served Wayne well throughout his entire life. Amidst the struggles and hardships, he went on to graduate from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1943.

Quite soon after his high school graduation, Wayne felt the call to duty, and like many young men during World War II, he enlisted in the military on June 24, 1943. He served with the U.S. Army Air Corp, stationed in France, Central Europe and Belgium as a radio operator mechanic before his honorable discharge on November 13, 1945. Back home, Wayne began working for Precision Casting Company. He stayed there for a year working in payroll and cost accounting before taking a position with Austin Construction Company where he remained for the next four years, from 1946 to 1950.

In 1946, Wayne's mother married a gentleman named Lehman Large, and was thankful she had someone by her side. His own fate changed as well while attending the wedding of a friend. While at the wedding, Wayne met Beverly Owen, a pretty, brown eyed brunette whose smile took his breath away. Beverly and Wayne shared their first date together on a day trip by train to Chicago. They enjoyed one another's company immensely, and continued their dating relationship until Wayne asked Beverly for her hand in marriage that Christmas of 1946. Not long after, Wayne and Beverly shared vows of marriage on January 31, 1947 at the First United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo. For their honeymoon, they spent the weekend in Chicago before Wayne needed to report for work that following Monday.

Wayne and Beverly's first home together was a small apartment on Cedar Street. They welcomed the birth of their first child, and to accomodate their growing family, they purchased Beverly's parent's home on Kent Street when her parents decided to move to their summer house on Crooked Lake. Wayne and Beverly were blessed with four children in all, and loved their two girls and two boys to no end. From their oldest to their youngest, there were twenty years in between. Beverly remained at home to raise their children all while earning her degree as an LPN. Wayne worked with MCJ Billingham Construction as a project engineer before eventually taking a job with Miller Davis in 1952.

Beverly was a liberated woman, and was considered progressive for the times, but she always held fast to the values she was raised with. Her endless supply of energy kept Wayne on his toes, but they each complimented each other and encouraged one another in all their endeavors. They made a good life together, and taught their children well. Wayne lived by example, and in all ways, he taught life lessons. He was generous, and gave of his resources with the expectation of being paid back. He valued hard work for earnings, and conservative in nature, he expected nothing less from those he entrusted.

After many memorable times in their home on Kent Street, they decided to put the house up for sale, and it sold within four hours. They purchased another house on Wellington, and lived there for the next ten years before Wayne oversaw the building of a new house to call their own on Parkview. After ten years, he oversaw yet another new home construction on Kensington Street where Wayne and Beverly spent the rest of their days together.

Wayne enjoyed collecting brass, watches and clocks, and had a house full of them! He loved going to flee markets, and with the moves they made, one would think he sorted through some of his treasures, but Wayne kept everything! He also loved doing yard work. At times it seemed as if the trees were moved weekly! Wayne was well versed in a variety of subjects and knew about everything. He liked reading, and studied his books and referenced the information contained in them. He was a wonderful storyteller, and had a great memory for telling stories about himself. He also loved sharing with his grandchildren about his early days, and was encouraging and positive towards them.

Wayne especially loved camping. Great family times were spent up north to Silver Lake and Ludington. As members of Oakwood Methodist Church, Wayne was committed to serving the church, and even helped build it. Always involved, he served in many capacities and taught adult Sunday school for some time. With his love for travel, Wayne especially liked traveling with tour groups. He and Beverly traveled all over, including Australia, Alaska, Europe, and most of the U.S. Wayne was quite diverse when it came to music. From pop to classical, he loved and appreciated it all. When it came to food, Wayne was a simple eater, but he absolutely loved mayonnaise! He liked his hamburgers grilled, with plenty of mayo, of course, and during mushroom season, enjoyed mushroom hunting.

Through 35 years, Wayne worked his way up to the position of controller at Miller Davis before retiring in 1990 at the age of 65. Wayne and Beverly had more time for family and for travel, and it also gave Wayne time to enjoy more golf, which he loved. For years he played on many work leagues. He also liked watching golf on TV, and most often rooted for the underdog. Although he never really drank, on special occasions Wayne indulged in a glass of Crown Royal.

Wayne was an intelligent man and could strike up a conversation with anyone. He had a sense of humor, and was very outgoing socially. In fact, he kept in contact with his good friends, and met monthly for lunch with some of his lifelong, grade school friends. He also remained close with a few of his former co-workers from Miller Davis. Wayne was a staunch republican, and although conservative, he often bragged about living below the poverty level by choice, but felt like a king. He never asked for help, and used his resourcefulness when the need arose.

When Wayne's beloved Beverly passed away in 2005, it was no less a difficult time for him, but Wayne adjusted. Even when he moved to Friendship Village last year, he always had a story to tell at the dinner table. He was especially adaptable as he aged from his home at Friendship Village to Rose Arbor Hospice. When reflecting on his life, Wayne always considered himself blessed and was thankful for the life he lived. He lived contently, and never complained much. To those who knew and loved Wayne Decker, he will be deeply missed.

Wayne N. Decker, age 88, of Kalamazoo, died Saturday, April 27, 2013 at Rose Arbor Hospice. He was preceded in death by his wife, Beverly; and by a son, Ross Decker. Members of his family include three children: Lynn (David) Lajiness, Jeffrey (Jean) Decker, and Janene (Scott) Rawlinson; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; his sister, June Haavind; and daughter-in-law, Kelly Decker.

Learn more about Wayne, view his Life Story film, and share food and refreshments with his family and friends on Friday, May 3, 2013 from 5-7:00 PM at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler–Kalamazoo; 6080 Stadium Dr., 375-2900. Services will be held Saturday, May 4, 2013, 11:00 AM at the Oshtemo United Methodist Church followed by a luncheon in the church hall. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a memory and photo, and sign Wayne's memory book online before coming to the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to Rose Arbor Hospice.