Wayne Lee Mader

Wayne L. Mader, age 77, of Annandale, formerly of Chanhassen, died Thursday, August 19, 2021 at his home surrounded by the love and care of his family.

Memorial Services will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 28, 2021 at St. John's Lutheran Church, Annandale with Rev. Dave Nelson officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. The service will be live-streamed on the funeral home website. Memorials are preferred to St. Jude's.

Wayne Lee Mader was born May 18, 1944 in Joliet, Illinois to Edward and Adeline (Blaisus) Mader. Wayne grew up in Oak Park, Illinois and graduated from Oak Park River Forest High School in 1962. He then furthered his education at Augustana in Rock Island, Illinois before graduating from Washburn Trade School. While he played the organ at church during his high school years, a fellow member of the congregation, Kathleen Cairns, caught his eye. They dated and on December 29, 1965, Wayne and Kathy were united in marriage at Bethel Lutheran Church in Oak Park. Wayne worked for Sunbeam Corp. in Chicago, where he developed prototypes. He then went to work for Superior Electric. In December of 1974, the Mader family made the move to Chanhassen, as Wayne worked for Machine Tool Supply in Eagan. He was Vice President of Machine Tool Supply, a position he held until 1984, before owning Genesis Machinery in Hopkins. Wayne and Kathy remained in Chanhassen until moving to Annandale in 2012.

Wayne was always a car enthusiast. He was the proud owner of several Corvettes over the years. His love of cars drew him to car shows at McCormick Place and as a part of the Back to the 50s car club at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. He also collected NASCAR and Chevy memorabilia. Throughout his life, music played a special role, whether playing the organ in church, to listening to his 1950s albums. Wayne also had a special interest in snowmobiles and boats, and liked to fish. Over the years, he was fortunate to be able to travel for work and for pleasure, with Portugal being at the top of his list. Of all the blessings in Wayne's life, nothing brought him a greater sense of joy and pride than his family. He loved being in their presence, and it was not uncommon for members of the family to be given a nickname by him. Wayne will lovingly be remembered for his meticulous way of doing things and his compassionate soul.

Wayne is survived by his wife of 55 years, Kathy of Annandale; children, Joyce (Terry) Peterson of Watertown, and Edward (Jenifer) Mader of Annandale; grandchildren, Blake (Jennifer) Mader, Ashlee Mader, Emalee Mader, William Peterson, Jack Peterson, Jake Mader, and Faith Mader; great-grandchildren, Nova, Brody, Chloie, Calvin, Kayden, Lucas, and Norma Rose; sister-in-law, Pat Mader of St. Cloud; and other family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Adeline; and brother, Rev. Robert Mader.

Blake Mader, Jack Peterson, Bill Peterson, and Jake Mader will serve as urn bearers.

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