The Reverend Wayne Erick Wattman, our beloved father, friend, and minister, born July 11, 1927, in Superior, Wisconsin, left this life January 26, 2019, in Abbotsford, B.C. He was affectionately known as “Puck” as a child and by some, in later years, as “Wattie.” He is and will always be greatly missed for his compassionate care, gift of conversation, and delightful humor.
Proud to be of 100% Swedish descent, he was raised in the small town of Hawthorne, Wisconsin, deeply loved by his parents Erick Gustaf Wattman and Ethel Louise Colander. There Wayne worked hard on the family farm, pretended he was a big game hunter, sang at community events, and assisted the local pastor. He built planes and a skiff which immediately sank, was active in dancing, drama, hockey, and the Boy Scouts, and he learned to play the accordion and piano by ear.
Always a scholar, he graduated from Superior Central High School with honors before enlisting in the U. S. Naval Reserve at the end of World War II. While in the Navy, gazing into the stars, he felt called to the ministry. After matriculating at both Superior State and Macalester Colleges, he majored in both psychology and sociology at the latter institution, while working at churches in Superior and St. Paul. On June 12, 1950, he married Doris Swanson. During summers he worked in the Oregon woods with his father, and prepared for ordination within the United Presbyterian Church USA at the San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo, California, graduating with honors in 1953. His first pastoral call was in Glendale, Oregon, a sawmill and logging center, before heading in 1958 to Tulelake, California, a small potato and horseradish farming town. Ten years later he accepted the invitation to serve as Associate Pastor in a large suburban congregation in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
After marrying Carole Goldsmith in 1972, and a short stint in the life insurance industry, Wayne served briefly at the Reedville Church, before accepting in 1973 the pastoral charge in the United Church of Canada in Edson, Alberta. There he built his dream house in the woods and learned to speak Canadian, “eh?” In 1980, he moved to Summerland, B.C., again selling life insurance, until called to serve the Aldergrove and Mt. Lehman congregations for seven years. In 1991, he served the Belmont United Church in Victoria, after which he “retired,” before taking interim assignments at Eagle Ridge UC in Coquitlam, Hope UC, Gladwin Heights, and Mt. Lehman. At age 70, he was the “Padre” at the Naval Radio Section Aldergrove. He actually “retired” in 2001, having served over 50 years of ministry. In retirement, he kept a full schedule, officiating at weddings and funerals before suffering a stroke in 2007. He recovered well to spend a full retirement with “his best friend in the whole world,” Diann, whom he married on August 22, 1987.
In addition to his wife Diann, Wayne is survived by his sister Noriene; his children Rick (Judy) Wattman, Margaret (Marshall) Wattman-Turner, Marian (Dan) Wattman Oshima, and Rob (Christiane Bennett) Wattman; stepdaughters Dori (Cory) and Lisa (Lawrence) Hill; stepchildren Randy, Cathy, and Diana Goldsmith; nine grandchildren and step grandchildren: Brian, Megan, Emily, Elise, Anna, Emma, Ethan, Kaylan and Shea; nieces Kim, Karrie, and Kristy; and two step great-grandchildren.
Throughout his life Wayne found sustenance sharing his clear-tenor voice lifted in song, and he found solace in determined melody as his life ended. He was a carpenter, artist, storyteller, cribbage player, photographer, and a collector of books, wolves, and 1:24 scale autos. He enjoyed travel, fishing, landscaping, music, friends, and caring for numerous rescue pets. He was active in community service organizations including the Lions Club, Rotary International, and was a Master Mason. He was a life-long honorary member of the Chiefs and Petty Officers Association, sang and acted in many community productions, including The Victoria Men’s Chorus, and The Rainbow River Singers of Hope, and read with the Avid Readers Club.
With immense love, appreciation, honor, and gratitude, we are each blessed and comforted by Wayne’s wide-reaching legacy.