Please
send your thoughts to the family by clicking on this link
"Bob"
Robert L. Wissel
“Bob” Robert L. Wissel, 80, of Grand Island, died Sunday,
January 4, 2009.
Service will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the First Presbyterian
Church. The Reverend Caroline Price-Gibson will officiate. Burial
will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Hickman Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday at All Faiths
Funeral Home.
Mr. Wissel was born July 11, 1928 at Beatrice, NE the son of Alfred and Rachel (Walfoord)
Wissel.
He is survived by his wife Patricia.
Other survivors include a brother-in-law and his wife,
William and Donna Lindgren of Gering, NE and a sister-in-law and her husband, Judith and Frederick
Gaines of Appleton, Wisconsin and nieces, nephews and many friends.
His parents and sisters, Anita Wissel and Donna Williams
and two infant brothers preceded him in death.
Bob was raised in Beatrice graduating from Beatrice High School, class of 1946. He graduated
from Doane College in
1951. While at Doane, Bob participated in football, basketball
and swimming. He was a member of Doane’s first intercollegiate
swim team and taught swimming classes. A football letterman,
he played in offensive positions and was a member of the 1950 Nebraska
College Conference championship team.
He taught in Tobias and then came to the Grand Island school system,
where he would spend the next 30 years. His titles at Walnut
Junior High and later Grand Island Senior High, included social studies
teacher, counselor, football, basketball and track coach, business
manager and athletic director.
He announced Grand Island senior and junior high track meets
for 25 years. He worked the finish line for Nebraska State
Track meets for 24 years. He was meet director for the second
Girl’s State Track Meet. He served on the board of directors
and was state president of the Nebraska Athletic Director’s
Association. His service earned him state and national honors,
including a national federation citation presented at the National
Convention of Athletic Directors in 1981; and Nebraska Athletic Director
of the Year award.
Bob, who earned a master’s degree in education
from the University of Nebraska,
retired in 1988. He joined his wife in managing Lebesraum Retirement
Home, which they owned for more than 30 years.
He and Patricia Lindgren were married on June 18, 1967. They
are members of First Presbyterian Church where he was a member of
the choir since 1958.
Memorials are suggested to the choir robe fund at the
church.
