WAYNE LEE GOETZ

WAYNE LEE GOETZ Wayne Lee Goetz, 88 of Hillsdale, Kansas/Siloam Springs, Arkansas, died Sunday, June 30, 2024 at Innisfree Health and Rehabilitation in Rogers, Arkansas. He was reunited with his wife Mary (Saltzman) Goetz who passed away November 13, 2020. Wayne was born January 24, 1936 as the only child of Clyde and Georgia Goetz in Hillsdale, Kansas. He grew up on the family farm and graduated from Paola High School in 1954. He earned a certificate in television and electronics in Kansas City which led him to find employment in Omaha, Nebraska where he worked 30 years at the Meredith Corporation as a Broadcast Engineer and Chief Engineer at WOWT television station. Wayne was a pilot and owned his own plane which introduced him to some of his closest friends as well as his wife. Wayne met Mary at a dinner party and then he took her for her first airplane ride in his Cessna 120 airplane at the North Omaha Airport in October 1964. They were married April 24, 1965 and had a son, David and daughter, Bobette. After he retired, Wayne moved back to Hillsdale to care for his parents and took over the family farm. He raised beef cattle and restarted the dairy business he had grown up doing. He was always a very hard worker, diligent, never complained and left things better than he found them. Wayne was a man of faith. He was always generous with time, talents and money. He volunteered as Deacon and an AWANA leader at Bethany Baptist church in Omaha, NE. He also served at the Hillsdale Presbyterian Church where he was initially baptized as an infant and then returned to serve for many years. He was a Gideon and served his community through the Ruritan. Wayne loved flying and was part owner of the North Omaha Airport. He also spent many hours building and flying model airplanes. He started building a 2 seater airplane in his garage in Hillsdale but tremors kept him from completing it. He enjoyed Ham radio and connecting with people all over the US. After Mary passed away, he moved to Siloam Springs, Arkansas and lived with his son, David. He attended Siloam Springs Bible Church and Wednesday nights at The Tap Room. Wayne is survived by his children David Goetz and wife, Beth of Siloam Springs, Arkansas and Bobette Sawka and husband Matt of Gilroy, California and grandchildren Thad and Ardelle Goetz and Makena and Ryker Sawka. A memorial service will be held at Hillsdale Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, July 16th at 11am with lunch following. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Gideons International.