Wayne Wilson, age 80, passed away on Monday, February 17, 2020 at Luther Manor in Wauwatosa, WI from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. Wayne was born September 7, 1939 in Dodgeville, WI the son of Lecil and Pauline (Hewitt) Wilson. He spent his early years on the family farm in Wiota Township in Lafayette County, WI, attending the VanMatre one-room country school. At the age of 15, he began to live and work on the Red Rock area farm of his loving “second parents”, Thomas and Bessie McCauley. Wayne graduated from Darlington High School in 1957 and went on to live a life of service to his community, county, and country, establishing valued relationships through these endeavors.

Wayne served his community as a member of the Wiota Town Board and Fire Department and as Argyle Village President. Service to his county included nearly 35 years as a member of the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors, being elected as its chairman from 1986-2000. He was also an active participant in the Wisconsin Counties Association, serving in various capacities in that organization until 2017. He was named WCA President for the 1997 term, and sworn into that office by then-Governor Tommy Thompson. Service to his country encompassed 37 years from 1962-1999 as a member of the United States Army Reserves, serving with the 44th General Hospital Unit in Landstuhl, Germany during the Desert Storm Operation.

Wayne and Marne Halloran were married on June 28, 1964 at West Wiota Lutheran Church in rural Gratiot, WI. Over the years they made their home in Madison, Stoughton, Wiota, Argyle, Brookfield, and Wauwatosa. On April 1, 1973 they were bestowed with the cherished gift of their daughter Lisa, and on August 2, 2003 they gained a treasured son-in-law when Craig Blumenthal became Lisa’s husband. Wayne was delighted to become a grandfather on April 2, 2007 with the arrival of grandson, Jack Blumenthal.

As well as Marne, Lisa, Craig, and Jack, Wayne is survived by his sisters, Carol (Fred) Ruef and Anne (Fred) Bauman and his brothers Eldon (Kitty), Gene (Emmy), Kenneth (Pauline), David (Liz), and Steven (Beth) Wilson. He is further survived by his sisters- and brothers-in-law, Shirley, David (Shelley), Edward, and Harry (Amy) Halloran, Julie (Thomas) Jenkins, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, parents-in-law Ward and Harriet Halloran, his brother Donald Wilson, and his sisters Rochelle Gross Backer and Darlene Graham.

Throughout the years Wayne was employed in food production on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, in administration as a civilian employee of the United States Army and in milk testing with the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. He was a member of Wiota Lutheran Church, the Argyle American Legion Post, the Argyle Eastern Star Chapter, and the Argyle Masonic Lodge.

A visitation will be held at Wiota Lutheran Church in the village of Wiota (6682 State Rd 78, South Wayne, WI 53587) on Friday, March 6, 2020, from 3:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. and on Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 10:00 A.M. until 10:45 A.M. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. at Wiota Lutheran Church with Rev. Traci Maass officiating. Burial will be in the West Wiota Cemetery in Gratiot Township following the memorial service. The Erickson Funeral Home in Argyle is serving the family. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.ericksonfuneralhome.com