Herbert D. Wacker

Herbert Donald Wacker was born June 2, 1945, in Plainview, Nebraska. He passed away November 13, 2023, in Wichita, Kansas due to complications from Lewy body dementia. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Judith (Katzenmeier) Wacker; sons, Robert (Ikuko) and Michael Wacker; grandchildren Andrew, Christian, and Emily Wacker; sister, Joanne (Fred) Prauner; brothers, Daniel (Carol) and Marcus (Jean) Wacker; his brother-in-law, David (Jean) Katzenmeier, and his sister-in-law Lori (Gary) Fleming; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Bernice (Hoffart) Wacker; brothers, Paul and Daryl Wacker, and sister, Sharon (Larry) Grunke. Herb grew up in Battle Creek, Nebraska in a busy household with seven children. He started the family tradition of delivering newspapers and worked on a farm and with the Rural Electric Authority in the summers. He was a standout athlete in football, basketball, and track and an outstanding student, graduating as the valedictorian of his Battle Creek High School class in 1963. His athletic and academic excellence continued at Concordia Teacher's College in Seward, Nebraska, where he played football all four years and earned his Bachelor of Science in Education in 1967. He and Judy were married shortly after graduation and accepted calls to teach in Lutheran schools in St. Louis, Missouri. Judy taught kindergarten, while Herb taught Lab Science and Earth Science at Lutheran High School South, where he also coached football, track, and even soccer. While teaching at Lutheran South, Herb began spending the summers painting houses with fellow teacher Ken Bauer, who, along with his wife Cheryl, became lifelong friends of Herb and Judy. In 1976, Herb, Judy, Bob, and Mike relocated to Wichita, Kansas, where Herb and Judy spent the rest of their careers teaching in the Goddard, Kansas public school system. Herb spent 28 years teaching Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, and Geometry and for the first several years, coaching football. He continued to paint houses each summer, eventually joined by Bob and Mike during their teenage and college years. Herb served his church as a Sunday school and confirmation class teacher, usher, elder, Stephen Minister, and on numerous boards and committees. In his retired years, he and Judy volunteered at the information desk at the Wichita Airport, and enjoyed traveling, especially to visit Mike, Bob and Ikuko, and their grandkids. Herb was a humble, hard-working, and conscientious servant to all those around him and a beloved teacher and role model to students. He was devoted to his family, never missing a baseball game, basketball game, or swim meet. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at 11:00 AM at Ascension Lutheran Church, 842 North Tyler Road, Wichita, Kansas. If you wish to give a memorial, please consider giving to Ascension Lutheran Church, 842 North Tyler Road, Wichita, Kansas 67212 (https://app.onechurchsoftware.com/ascension/egiving) or the Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road, S.W., Suite 205, Lilburn, Georgia 30047 (https://www.lbda.org/donate)