Charles "Bud" Wyant

Charles G. Wyant, (Chuck, Bud), began his long journey through life in Springfield, Missouri June 15, 1925. He was mercifully released from this world on Sunday, February 10, 2008 following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer‘s. He was a private but proud man and his life was full and intense. Caught in the patriotic fervor of World War II, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps shortly after high school graduation in 1943. Following boot camp at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina he was stationed in Vero Beach, Florida working in aviation RADAR when he met his future wife, Julie, a Navy WAVE. They were married in February of 1945 only months before he shipped out with orders involving the invasion of Japan. Hiroshima saved his life. After discharge from the service, Bud joined his wife in her hometown of Milwaukee, there, taking advantage of the G.I. Bill to earn a degree in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University on December 7, 1951. He joined IBM in early 1952 and spent the next 35 years as a customer service engineer for the corporation as it grew to the computer giant it is today. After retirement, Bud and Julie traveled extensively throughout the world until the onset of his illness. Bud served as Scoutmaster to Troop 77 at Holy Trinity School where he conceptualized and then engineered the building of “Mueller’s Woods” the troop’s own camp on Hwy 31 and KR. He wrote and produced plays for his Boy Scouts to entertain the Holy Name Society and never missed a trip to the “Klondike Derby” or “Camp Chippecotton” and later “Camp Robert Lyle”. Introduced to the love of fishing and hunting by his Wisconsin brothers-in-law, Chuck was one of the founding father’s of the Racine County Conservation League and later co-creator of “Salmon-A-Rama” the annual fishing contest to support the stocking of area waterways and other local conservation efforts. Bud (Chuck) and Julie, who preceded him in death in November of 2006, had six children in their sixty-one years of marriage. C. Judley (Mary) Wyant, Jeanne (Jerry) Garchek, Jill (Bob) Hayssen of Racine; Jamie (Susan) Wyant of Salem, Oregon; Jacalin (Kent) Sall of St. Paul, MN; and Jeanette (Kenny) Wyatt of Asheville, NC. They also had twelve grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. Grandchildren include Toby Wyant of Chicago, Molly Wyant of Milwaukee, and Peter Wyant, Racine, Beth (Brian) Eddy of Lexington, KY, Bridgette C. Garchek of Washington, D.C., Abby (Lee) Jaramillo of Racine, Lili Sall of At. Paul MN, Rebecca (Mike) Berger of Milwaukee, Tyler Dillard of Tuscaloosa, AL, and Luke Wyatt of Asheville, NC. Bridgette Jeanne and Thad Garchek preceded him in death. Great grandchildren are Brynn, Brylee, and Brennan Eddy, Jack Brandhuber, and Jayce and Reese Jaramillo. Bud is further survived by two sisters, Emma Jean Baker, Springfield, MO and Edna Phillips, Ellensburg , WA., and brothers and sisters-in law in the Milwaukee area: Marge Lance, Marge Chovanec, Joe (Mary) , Rudy (Delores) , Tony (Darlene), Bob, and Bill Zemanovic. His brother Jack passed away recently in Springfield Missouri. His Life and Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, February 15, 2008 at 11 a. m. in St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church with Rev. Jeffrey M. Thielen officiating. A visitation will be in the church of Friday from 10 a.m. until time of Mass. Burial will follow in Holy Family Cemetery with full military honors. Memorials have been suggested to the Health Care Network or Racine County Conservation League.