MICHAEL ELVIN DeWALD

MICHAEL ELVIN DeWALD, 75, of Fort Wayne, passed away on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, at the V.A. Hospital in Fort Wayne. Born in Fort Wayne on March 27, 1945, he was the son of the late Elvin Leo and Nellie Leota (Waters) DeWald. He graduated from North Side High School in 1963 and honorably served his country in the United States Navy as a Seabee. He served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. Shortly after he returned from the war, he married Connie Annita Hisey at Port Hueneme, Calif., on March 18, 1967. Mike owned and operated DeWald Excavating. He started his business in 1976 and retired in 2006 when his son, Kevin took over the day-to-day operations. Mike was an avid antique John Deere tractor collector and he belonged to various antique tractor clubs in the area. He was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Lake Township. His faith in God and his family were most important to him. He loved spending time at the lake, camping and horseback riding. He will be deeply missed by all those who knew him and loved him. Survivors include his wife, Connie DeWald of Fort Wayne; son, Kevin (Kimberly) DeWald of Fort Wayne; daughter, Michelle (Chad) Sutton of Garrett; five grandchildren, Kameron DeWald, Kaden DeWald and Kailey DeWald, all of Fort Wayne, Bailey Sutton of Fort Wayne, and Garrett Sutton of Garrett; sisters, Rita Sherwood of Fort Wayne and Carol Fairchild of South Bend; many nieces and nephews; brothers-in-law, Jimmie (Laura) Hisey of Fort Wayne, Lonnie (Laura) Pace of Houston, Texas, Gary (Karen) Pace of Spring Branch, Texas, and John Smith of Burnet, Texas; and sister-in-law, Nancy (Danny) Cloud of Weatherford, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers-in-law, Jim Sherwood and Roland Fairchild; and sister-in-law, Pam Smith. There will an outdoor drive-by or walk-by visitation under the canopy, weather permitting, from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at St. John's Lutheran Church, Lake Township, 7914 West Cook Road, Fort Wayne. Funeral service, which will be live streamed on the church's Facebook page, is 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at St. John's Lutheran Church, with visitation one hour prior to the funeral service. Burial with military honors will take place at Covington Memorial Gardens, Fort Wayne. Memorial donations may be made in Mike's honor to St. John's Lutheran Church, Lake Township or to the Alpha-1 Association, 2937 SW 27th Ave., Miami, FL 33133. Arrangements entrusted to Hite Funeral Home. Share a favorite memory of Mike or send a condolence online at www.hitefuneralhome.com