Wade Edward Lasister, 76, of Leesville and formerly of Tomah, Wisconsin, passed peacefully on February 9, 2024, in Leesville following a brief illness.
He was born to William “Bill” and Elizabeth (Ford) Lasister on September 18, 1947, in Independence, Missouri, but was raised by his father and stepmother, Charline.
After high school, Wade enlisted in the Army in 1964. Following his training as a medic, he served in Germany before being transferred to Vietnam and assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, where he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Other assignments included Walter Reed General Hospital, Washington, DC, where he met and married his wife, Deanna “Dee” in 1969. Together they served two more tours in Germany before he retired from active duty in 1985 at Ft Polk, (now Ft Johnson) Louisiana.
Post retirement he accepted an instructor/trainer position that dealt with training personnel in the operation and maintenance required of a field hospital, so the family moved to Wisconsin. His job required him to split time between Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin, and Ft. Polk, Louisiana, until his second retirement 22 years later.
He enjoyed sharing his knowledge, opinions, or a good beer with anyone he met. Even more was his joy of fishing and a good day of deer hunting, especially if he was able to tag a deer to use in making his favorite venison breakfast sausage. Being an amazing storyteller, his grandkids were often left wondering if the story they were told was real or if he had made it up just for them.
After his second retirement, Wade looked for a way to continue working with his hands when he joined long-time friend, Karen Walmsley, owner of K&W Woodworking, in her shop developing designs and techniques for translation to wood using CNC and laser technologies. He took pride in the original work produced, and they attended countless statewide festivals and art events. He not only enjoyed the work but loved meeting new people all over the state. Wade never met a stranger and could strike up a conversation with anyone.
Wade was a holder of many titles in his life: son, brother, husband, father, and a friend of many, but the title he enjoyed the most was “grandpa or papaw”. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, and three children: daughters Samantha Dilts and Tammy McClenton; and a son, Wade Edward, Jr., all of Tomah, Wisconsin; nine grandchildren: Victoria, Caije (Kassandra), Kylee (Austyn), Serac, Marissa, Marcuss, Jazmine (Charles), McKenzie, and LeeAnna; his sisters, Rhonda (Lasister) Tucker of St. Charles, Missouri, Tonya (Lasister) Bruce of Blue Springs, Missouri, and brother Robert Lasister of Kansas City, Missouri, along with four great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, stepmother, two brothers, two brothers-in-law, and a niece. Respecting Wade’s final wishes, there will be no funeral service or visitation. There will be a private interment at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his memory to a veteran’s organization of your choice or your local American Legion.