Wayne Waldeane Wolf

Wayne Waldeane Wolf, age 88, passed away May 23, 2022. He was born on November 10, 1933, at the Wolf family farm in Harlan County, Nebraska to Leo Vernon Wolf and Alberta Burton Wolf. The family later moved to Cambridge, Nebraska. Wayne went to high school at the Nebraska School of Agriculture at Curtis, Nebraska. After graduation from high school Wayne attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and received a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering.

Between 1956 and 1958 Wayne joined the army and was promoted to 1st Lt. Launcher Platoon Leader, Nike Ajax Battery, US Army Anti-Aircraft Artillery, La Habra, Orange County, California.

He returned to the University of Nebraska to pursue a Master of Science Degree and received it in 1962. While at the university he went on a blind date with Helen Jean Melvin. That blind date must have worked because they were married 8 months later at Reynolds, Nebraska on September 3, 1960.

Wayne worked for the US Dept of Agriculture for 37 years where he studied physical methods of insect control and had more than 40 publications. Working with scientists from around the world, he developed novel methods for tracking insect pests. He was proud to say he was the first person in the US who used radar to study insect migration.

Though a quiet man, he would talk about the many hobbies he enjoyed throughout his life: owning and flying glider aircraft, studying Monarch butterfly migration, playing the recorder, trombone, and accordion, square dancing, gardening, and hiking especially in the Grand Canyon. He found paths to hike near Arbor Oaks at Crestview where he lived in Bryan. Camelot Park with its butterfly garden was one of his favorite walks.

After sixty-two years of marriage Wayne is survived by wife Helen, brother Marlyn Wolf of Gothenburg, Nebraska; two sisters, Rita King of Lakewood, Colorado and Letha Perks of Stockville, Nebraska; daughters Carol (husband, Joel) of North Plains, Oregon (children, Evan and Alana), Nancy (husband, Charles Files) of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, (children, Carly, Erin and Holly). Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Dale of Blacksburg, Virginia and a grandson, Christopher Files.

A private memorial service will be held at a future date and ashes will be buried at the Rosecreek Cemetery at Reynolds Nebraska.