Obituary of Bill Wanke

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at Scott Funeral Home, 2515 Veterans Parkway, Jeffersonville, IN.  Visitation will be held from 2:00 to 8:00 PM on Monday and after 10:00 AM on Tuesday at the funeral home. 

Bill is survived by his wife of 46 years, Debbie; his sons, Kevin (Laura) and Kyle (Kate); and four grandchildren, Anna, Drew, Emma, and August.  He is also survived by his brother, Richard (Debbie); and his sisters, Debbie Burns (Bryan), Beverli Gadlage (Craig), and Reney Perkins (Randy), as well as nephews and nieces.

Born in Sturgeon Bay, WI, and moving to southern Indiana in 1960, Bill graduated from Jeffersonville High School in 1970, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University Southeast in 1978, and a Master’s Degree from Webster University in 1993. Bill was a member of St. Luke’s United Church of Christ in Jeffersonville.

Bill worked as a logistics coordinator at ACBL for 29 years.  His love for the outdoors inspired him to plant over 30,000 trees on family acreage and attended multiple sessions at Purdue University to earn a state license for turf chemicals and to learn about turf management.  He also started his own business mowing and treating lawns and business properties.  He supported athletes at Jeff High for many years, voluntarily taking care of the athletic fields.  He was hired by GCCS in 2013 to continue that work; he retired from that position in 2018. Bill also worked part-time at Home Depot in New Albany.

Bill enjoyed camping and travel.  He spoke fondly of paddling trips to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota and to Kenai Fjords in Alaska.  He and Debbie visited all 50 states, including two trips together to Alaska.  He spent his free time playing cards, working in his woodshop, and attending sporting events at Jeff High. Bill always had many projects underway. He built 2 houses, a woodshop, a barn, many sets for Jeff High theater, and benches and the original press box for the soccer field at the high school.

Bill shared his gifts, tools, and talents with everyone he met. He was a shareholder in the Green Bay Packers and watched all the IU basketball games that he could. He spent many, many hours making friends, supporting his community, and on his tractor mowing grass. He will be loved, missed and cherished for all that he was.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Center for Lay Ministries.  Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.