Wayne L. Brandau, 87, of Tomah died Tuesday Dec. 19, 2017, at the Gundersen Lutheran Health Center in La Crosse.
He was a member of the Wilton High School graduating class of 1948. Wayne worked for Tillman Produce before being drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Korea during the Korean War. After his service time, Wayne moved to Rockford, Ill., and went to work for Household Finance. He worked for Bank of America for several years and became a vice president.
In 1978, he started his own company, the Brandau Pacific Group. He lived in Mission Viejo, Calif., from 1969 until moving to Liberty Village, Tomah, in 2016. He was a member of the Mount of Olives Lutheran Church in Mission Viejo, Calif. He was an avid and loud Green Bay Packers fan. He also enjoyed reading about history, especially the Civil War. Wayne will always be remembered for his quick wit, as a great storyteller, and as a loyal friend.
He is survived by a son, Wayne Matt Brandau of Capo Beach, Calif.; a granddaughter, Katrina (Matt) Nesterenko of Monument, Colo.; two cousins, Robert “Bob” (Alice) Brandau of Wilton and Bernice Ferris of Watertown, Wis.; a sister-in-law, Geraldine Brandau of Tomah; and nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Gina; three brothers, Raymond, William (Bonnie) and Leonard (Galetta); and two sisters, Freda (Carl) and Arlene.
A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wilton. Pastor Brad Lindberg will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery, with military honors by Hanson-Stark-Leith-Paeth American Legion Post 508.
Relatives and friends are invited to call at the church on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. The Smith-Nelson Funeral Home in Wilton is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to www.sonnenburgfamilyfh.com.
The family requests that memorials be made to the Wilton Food Pantry or St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wayne’s name.
