Obituary of Wayne P. Hochmuth

Wayne P. Hochmuth, age 87, of Wisconsin Rapids, died peacefully on May 10, 2019 at The Waterford of Wisconsin Rapids. As per his wishes, there will be a public celebration of life on Sunday, October 13, 2019 at Herman-Taylor Funeral Home and Cremation Center from Noon to 2:00 P.M. Online condolences may be expressed at www.taylorfuneralhome.net.

Wayne subscribed to the belief you lead by example. His dedication as a business executive drove him to do his best to support and mentor employees, for whom he was truly grateful. His zest for sports fueled an active and engaged life, with the family participating in tennis, skiing, racquetball and canoeing. His commitment to the community led him to ongoing involvement in many Central Wisconsin civic and business organizations, including the YMCA Board of Directors, the McMillan Library Board, the Chamber of Commerce, the UW-Stevens Point Foundation, Bull’s Eye Country Club tennis committee, the Heart of Wisconsin Ski Club and the Packs & Paddles canoeing and kayaking club, which he co-founded. At home, he was an avid reader, loved discussing politics and economics, grilled many perfectly charred steaks, and enjoyed listening to his vast library of music. In his later years, he taught himself to use a computer, which dovetailed nicely with his new hobby of photography.

Born Nov. 24, 1931, in Chicago, the son of Alfred M. and Mildred (Cadman) Hochmuth, Wayne lived his early years in a multi-generational home of German immigrants. In a StoryCorps recording, he reminisced about his younger years on the streets of Chicago (“The Saturday matinee cost 10 cents, and that included a candy bar.”). As many Chicago families did in the summer, his escaped the heat of the big city by living in northern Wisconsin when schools were out. His fond memories of summers in Lakewood, WI led him to own a home in Biron on the Wisconsin River many years later.

Wayne graduated as a cadet officer from St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, WI in June 1950. He then attended the University of Illinois, Drake University and Northwestern University. In 1952, he married Lou Wadsworth of Evanston, IL, with whom he raised four children over their 30-year marriage.

Like many in his generation, his years of education were interrupted by service during the Korean conflict. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps from March 1954 to March 1956, participating in Operation Sagebrush, the largest stateside maneuver since World War II. Following his service, he earned an MBA with a major in finance in 1959, having been awarded the first U.S. Steel Foundation Fellowship at Northwestern. After graduation, he pursued post-graduate work in economics.

Wayne was born into a family which owned a construction company, so during his teenage years he learned the building trades, especially bricklaying. Those skills helped support his educational efforts and resulted in a lifelong appreciation of a good day’s hard work. During later college years, he served as a research assistant writing case studies for Northwestern's Business School. Following graduation, he worked for several consulting firms, including doing extensive work for the space technology division of NASA during the early phase of the man-on-the-moon project. He was honored to be at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL during one of the early rocket launches.

In 1966, he moved his family to Wisconsin Rapids to join Consolidated Papers, Inc. as Manager of Corporate Planning. He ultimately became the General Manager and Vice President of Consoweld Corp. He was also named President of Consoweld Distributors, Inc., a national distributor of decorative laminates and other building materials. Upon his retirement in 1986, he returned to consulting, establishing his own firm. He also became President of Primewood Inc., of Wahpeton, ND, and later manager of the Wis. Rapids Area Business Incubator, Inc.

Wayne is survived by two daughters, Patricia (Ken) Bice, Verona, WI and Cheryl (Steve) Ylvisaker, Minneapolis, MN; two sons, Alfred (Nancy), Germantown, WI and Marc, Chicago; his former wife, Lou Crosby, Montreal, WI; and a brother, Alfred (Pam), Colorado Springs, CO; six grandchildren, Kevin Bice, Kinsey Bice, Heidi Ylvisaker, Gabriele (Tom) Salfer, Samantha Hochmuth, and Hunter Hochmuth; and cousins, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Family Center in Wisconsin Rapids, South Wood County YMCA or Heartland Hospice-Stevens Point.