Enrique
'Hank' Ayala
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church.
His ashes will be placed in the church's columbarium.Mr. Ayala was born Sept. 30, 1926, in Caracas, Venezuela, to Arturo Ayala and Clorinda Castillo de Ayala.
Survivors of the immediate family include his wife of 59 years, Virginia; six sons and daughters-in-law, Carlos Enrique and Chong Ayala of Hopewell, Va., Francisco and Margit Ayala of Padeldorf, Germany, Jaime and Cindy Ayala of Humphrey, Diego and Tammy Ayala of Neligh, Pedro Jos, and Ramona Ayala of Fort Bragg, N.C., and Juan Pablo and Amy Ayala of Palm Bay, Fla.; four daughters and a son-in-law, Margarita and Bradley Rueb of Omaha, Maria Elena Ayala of Grand Island, Mercedes Ayala and Susana Ayala, both of Winter Park, Fla.; three sisters, Carmen Ayala de Perez, Kondira Ayala de Sous and Mercedes Ayala de Delconte, all of Caracas, Venezuela; and a brother-in-law, Douglas Pierce.
Other survivors are grandchildren and their spouses, Teresa and Ernest Wise, Sherry and Lucho Quintero, Elisa and Glenn Credeur, Carlos and Yolanda Ayala, Jessica and Eddie McDevitt, Rachel and Todd Johnson, Kristen and Dan Sharp and Diego, Gabriela, Carmen, Travis, Kathleen, Luis, Maria, Virginia, Danica, Savanah, Andr,s, Emilia, Logan, Alejandro and Marianna; great-grandchildren, Taylor, Matthew, Michelle, Elizabeth, Alysha, Tyler, Maximo, Ava, Louis, Adriana, Evangeline and Ella; nieces and nephews, Perez Ayala, Sous Ayala, Delconte Ayala and Ayala Nunez.
Hank was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and a sister.
Hank graduated with his bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and completed his master's in animal husbandry at Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. His occupations included farmer and rancher, State Senator, Professor at the Universidad Central de Venezuela and Marketing Director of the Petrochemical Industry of Venezuela. After moving to Nebraska, he worked in Hospice Care, Home Health, and later as a Hispanic Minister with the United Methodist Church. It gave him great pleasure to create gifts for his many family members by painting, modeling in clay, wood working, and writing children's stories with moral endings. He derived great enjoyment playing with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and had the joy of dancing with one of his granddaughters at her wedding before going to live with the Lord. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather and great-grandfather.
His Christian faith inspired and guided him in all the aspects of his life. God rest his soul.
Memorials are suggested to the church or the Salvation Army.