Wayne Clinton Witcher, 80, of Lenexa, KS, passed away Tuesday, December 26, 2017 from previously undiagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia, at the University of Kansas Medical Center, surrounded by his family. Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 PM Friday January 5th at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 9100 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS. Funeral Services will be 11:00 AM Saturday, January 6th, at the church. Burial will be Saturday January 13th, 2018 at Fairlawn Cemetery in Hutchinson, KS.

Wayne was born in Hutchinson, KS on April 30, 1937. He graduated from Partridge High School in 1955, and from Midland Lutheran College in 1959. He went on to receive his Master’s in Divinity from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California in 1965. He married Linda Larsen, of Fremont, Nebraska, with whom he had three children. His first assignment was as the pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Peabody, Kansas. He went on to pastor Messiah Lutheran Church in Springfield, Missouri before relocating to Independence, Missouri to pursue a career in counseling. In 1985 he earned his Ph.D, and at the time of his retirement in 2016, he had worked as a family and marriage counselor for over 40 years.

His passions included spending time with family and friends, and many outdoor activities including sailing, biking, camping and golfing. He loved playing Bridge and Pool (Billiards), and was a serious competitor, according to his friends. He also loved music and enjoyed attending the Winfield, Kansas Bluegrass Festival. He was a terrific dancer and loved to jitterbug, winning many a dance contest. An avid sailor, he and various companions chartered sailboats around the globe. In 2006 he launched the first annual men-only Pirate Sail which was crewed over the years by various family and friends. Though not at the helm, he enjoyed the many ports of call while cruising the Caribbean and Bahamas on the big ships.

It must be said that Wayne and his brother, Lowell, loved the movies. Taking their kids to the movie theater every other weekend became a go-to family activity. The brothers had big voices and their raucous laughter was known to embarrass their children to no end. It was not uncommon for the audience to stop laughing at the movie and start laughing at Wayne and Lowell.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents Clair Witcher and Grace (Epperson) Pembleton and his brother Lowell. He is survived by his girlfriend of seven years, Sheila Wikas, three children; Allison Witcher, Anne Witcher and David Witcher, two step-children; Sarah (Blake) Williams, James (Tessa) Alexander, sisters; Elaine Unfred and Laura Sprague, three beloved grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

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