Wendell Wayne Walston
June 26, 2019 at 10:07 p.m.
Wendell Wayne Walston
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He was born on Sept. 27, 1942, in Rising Sun, Ind., to Opal Koons Walston and John Walston. On June 28, 1964, he was married to Betty Violet Smelser Walston, who survives.
Wayne was a 1968 graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., where he received his B.A. in philosophy and political science. He continued on to law school and was a 1971 graduate of Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, Ind. He went into private practice in Muskegon, Mich., from 1971 to 1976.
He served as the general counsel for GTE Telephone Company in 1976.
He moved to California and worked for the Sprint Corp. from 1985 to 1986. From 1986 to 1989, he moved to Kansas City, Kan., and served Sprint as the vice president and general counsel. Wayne was transferred in 1989 to Mansfield, Ohio, and served as the executive bice president of secretarial and legal affairs.
Wayne served on the board of directors of TRIAD of the American Red Cross, the advisory board for the Alzheimer’s Association of Indiana; served on the board of directors and as chairman for the salary committee of The Gorman Rupp Company in Mansfield, Ohio; was a member of the Michigan, Ohio and Indiana State Bar Association; and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Indiana Elder Law Section. Wayne was also a member of the board of Ohio State University Mansfield Campus.
He was a frequent speaker at seminars and symposiums on elder law topics. He was selected annually by his nationwide elder law colleagues as among the Best Lawyers in America in the field of elder law from 2009 through 2017. Wayne served on the board of directors of Cardinal Services of Indiana from 2008 to 2009. He never tired of learning and graduated from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Executive Education, as well as completing Cornell University’s Finance and Accounting for non-financial managers.
He retired in 2000 and moved to Tippecanoe Lake in Leesburg in 2001. Never one to settle down he went into private practice in the field of estate planning and elder law, where he was recognized by his colleagues as “Super Lawyer” from 2008 to 2018. He retired in 2016 from Beers, Mallers, Backs and Salin, LLP in Warsaw. After retirement he kept busy with research and writing on matters of historical fiction, as well as traveling, boating at his home on the lake, and mastering the game of bridge with his beloved wife, Betty. He will be dearly missed by his family and countless friends and colleagues.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 55 years, Betty Violet Walston of Leesbug; son, Jonathon (Courtney) Walston of Kansas City, Kan.; and two daughters, Nicky Walston and Wende (Jason) Dailey, both of Lawrence, Kan. Also surviving are four granddaughters, Mina and Shea Dailey, Amelia and Bailey Walston; brother, Roger (Rita) Walston of Batavia, Ohio; sister, Freda Gray of Vevay, Ind; many sister and brothers-in-law and nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister and five brothers.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 29, from noon to 2 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, Warsaw, Ind. Wayne’s life will be celebrated with a memorial service that will be conducted at 2 p.m. and officiated by Pastor Bob Seewald.
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Memorials to Leesburg United Methodist Church, 111 W. Prairie Street, Leesburg, IN 46538; or to Harbor Light Hospice, 1820 E. Day Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545.
Online condolences may be sent through the funeral home’s webite at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.
He was born on Sept. 27, 1942, in Rising Sun, Ind., to Opal Koons Walston and John Walston. On June 28, 1964, he was married to Betty Violet Smelser Walston, who survives.
Wayne was a 1968 graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., where he received his B.A. in philosophy and political science. He continued on to law school and was a 1971 graduate of Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, Ind. He went into private practice in Muskegon, Mich., from 1971 to 1976.
He served as the general counsel for GTE Telephone Company in 1976.
He moved to California and worked for the Sprint Corp. from 1985 to 1986. From 1986 to 1989, he moved to Kansas City, Kan., and served Sprint as the vice president and general counsel. Wayne was transferred in 1989 to Mansfield, Ohio, and served as the executive bice president of secretarial and legal affairs.
Wayne served on the board of directors of TRIAD of the American Red Cross, the advisory board for the Alzheimer’s Association of Indiana; served on the board of directors and as chairman for the salary committee of The Gorman Rupp Company in Mansfield, Ohio; was a member of the Michigan, Ohio and Indiana State Bar Association; and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Indiana Elder Law Section. Wayne was also a member of the board of Ohio State University Mansfield Campus.
He was a frequent speaker at seminars and symposiums on elder law topics. He was selected annually by his nationwide elder law colleagues as among the Best Lawyers in America in the field of elder law from 2009 through 2017. Wayne served on the board of directors of Cardinal Services of Indiana from 2008 to 2009. He never tired of learning and graduated from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Executive Education, as well as completing Cornell University’s Finance and Accounting for non-financial managers.
He retired in 2000 and moved to Tippecanoe Lake in Leesburg in 2001. Never one to settle down he went into private practice in the field of estate planning and elder law, where he was recognized by his colleagues as “Super Lawyer” from 2008 to 2018. He retired in 2016 from Beers, Mallers, Backs and Salin, LLP in Warsaw. After retirement he kept busy with research and writing on matters of historical fiction, as well as traveling, boating at his home on the lake, and mastering the game of bridge with his beloved wife, Betty. He will be dearly missed by his family and countless friends and colleagues.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 55 years, Betty Violet Walston of Leesbug; son, Jonathon (Courtney) Walston of Kansas City, Kan.; and two daughters, Nicky Walston and Wende (Jason) Dailey, both of Lawrence, Kan. Also surviving are four granddaughters, Mina and Shea Dailey, Amelia and Bailey Walston; brother, Roger (Rita) Walston of Batavia, Ohio; sister, Freda Gray of Vevay, Ind; many sister and brothers-in-law and nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister and five brothers.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 29, from noon to 2 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, Warsaw, Ind. Wayne’s life will be celebrated with a memorial service that will be conducted at 2 p.m. and officiated by Pastor Bob Seewald.
*****
Memorials to Leesburg United Methodist Church, 111 W. Prairie Street, Leesburg, IN 46538; or to Harbor Light Hospice, 1820 E. Day Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545.
Online condolences may be sent through the funeral home’s webite at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.
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