- Date Of Birth: August 5, 1921
- Date Of Death: April 20, 2017
- State: Colorado
Wayne Alcott Van Arsdale died peacefully at Covenant Village, in Westminster, on April 20, 2017. He was 95. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie (“Mardie”) Van Arsdale, who passed away in December. Wayne was born in Pueblo, Colorado, the second son of Stella G. and Lewis H. Van Arsdale. Both brothers were precocious, making friends with the likes of David Packard (later of Hewlett – Packard fame). Wayne attended Pueblo Centennial High School, where he was a class officer and on-stage performer. Poetry memorization and recitation were his favorites. Wayne attended the University of Colorado – Boulder, eventually earning a B.A. degree in economics. He was a member of Chi Psi Fraternity. As it was for many of his classmates, World War II intervened in his education. He joined the Army Air Corps. After completing flight school, and after telling his fiancé Mardie to be sure to wait, he left for the Pacific Theater. Wayne joined the 90th Bomb Group, Jolly Rogers Squadron, as a B-24 pilot. He completed 52 missions over the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. He brought his crew back safely each time. Wayne and Mardie were married on November 3, 1945. They moved to Denver. After stints at Union Station in the import – export business and in finance at the Gates Rubber Company, Wayne was called up from the reserves to train pilots, navigators, and bombardiers during the Korean War. Flying a B-29, he was based at Lowry AFB. After the war, he retired from the military, and joined John Eble & Company as a credit adjustor. He later became its president, and still later, president of the regional credit adjustors association. With two young children, and a third on the way, Wayne and Mardie moved to their West 73rd Place home in Arvada in 1953. The view of Mt. Evans from their back porch was one reason they “stayed put” for 63 years. During this period Wayne honed his wide-ranging musical interests, which spanned American cowboy songs (Sons of the Pioneers) to classical music (J.S. Bach). He continued his life-long love of the outdoors, eventually building a cabin with Mardie near Fairplay, with a view of the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness. Among many achievements in the educational arena, Wayne was elected to the Jefferson County school board in 1961. He served for 13 years, over half of that time as president. He was a pioneer of the district’s outdoor educational program. Wayne also volunteered as co-founder and president of the Jefferson Foundation. The Wayne A. Van Arsdale Elementary School in Arvada is named in his honor.
