May 9, 1966 – February 9, 2006
Twenty years have passed since you spent your days on this earth, but your spirit and good deeds live on in the hearts of your family, co-workers, and friends.
Until your dad died in 2024, he and I missed you many times every day. We remembered how you sailed through your one-hour skiing lesson and hit the slopes on parallel skis the first day. And how, later, as a teenager, you led us on easier slopes. I still remember how you’d ski down just so far and wait for us to catch up, all the while trying to tell us what we were doing right. Your dad and I talked about your reaction the day the Iowa State University campus was suddenly shut down because the streets had flooded, so you didn’t have to take that very last troubling final of your senior year. We talked about how you loved knowing trivia about movies, sports, and music, and how you spent many hours on woodworking, technology, photography, puzzles, following the Miami Dolphins, collecting and organizing things, and traveling in National Parks. We talked about the things, the people, and pets you loved.
You became a leader in every job you had. Through the years, some of your workers have told touching stories about your reputation as a visionary and compassionate but tough leader. If there’s a better legacy for a leader, we don’t know what it would be. We have always been touched by the plaque on the bridge at Gray’s Lake that says “Bill Wadden, Best Boss Ever.”
Your dad and I always missed your dry sense of humor, your quick wit, and your kindness and compassion. And, importantly, your sister Leigh and I have spent many hours talking about you and will continue to try to be worthy of your unconditional love until we all meet again.