WAGENBLAST, Edward

WAGENBLAST, Edward F. entered into the hope of Christ Resurection Saturday, December 25th, 2010 at his home, surrounded by his family, at the age of 69. He was born November 11, 1941 in St. Louis to his parents Edward and Reba (Chapman) Wagenblast. After two years of college and military service to his country in the United States Army, Mr. Wagenblast worked in the aerospace industry for 43 years retiring from security at Boeing Company in 2008. He was also a member of Assumption Catholic Church. Mr. Wagenblast is survived by his dear wife, Rebecca Ann Wagenblast nee: Kiefer, his dear children Donna Munro and her husband Matt and Michelle Thilking and her husband Charles. Dear brother of Paulette Wagenblast. Dear Grandpa (Stinky) of Rebecca Jean, Rio Jean, Xavier Charles Alexander, Matthew Edward, Danielle Marie Lynn, August Emmanuel, and Shalome Ziryha Carmel. Dear Great Grandpa of Damion James Davis. Dear friend to Jack and Sharon Mccormick and the Kiefer and Schaefer family.Visitation will be at Assumption Church on Main Street, in O’Fallon on Monday, January 3rd from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Funeral mass will follow at 10:30 a.m. Burial of his ashes will be in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society in care of the Funeral Home.To those who wonder who Ed really was,If you ask those who knew him, Ed was a wealth of knowledge about anything history, physics, and junk. If you had a question about the nature of the universe or maybe about that chipped vase at the garage sale down the street, Ed would steer you right. If you had an old pinball, arcade, or jukebox machine, he would be able to help you fix it. Or he might just try to buy it for his own basement arcade. If you were especially lucky, he’d show you a primitive idol or his dinosaur egg, all a part of the museum-quality collection of artifacts that Ed collected from every flea market, dusty shop, or garage sale within a 100-mile radius. Everyone Ed ever met had to listen to a lengthy explanation of his two great points of pride: his glorious garden (he carried 4x6 glossy photos wherever he went) or his accomplished family, from wife Becky on down to the youngest of his grandkids. Those of us who were present for these glowing brag sessions, often blushed on the outside but always knew just how special we were to him because of this constant and wonderful flow of love and pride. We can’t begin to tell you how much we will miss him. However, you all should know that he never let a moment go by without a word of love and praise for us, his family. Nothing was left unsaid.Ed survived a bout of colon cancer four years ago, though we know now he wasn’t cancer free. A few months ago the cancer returned, disguised as an inner-ear problem. He found it difficult to walk and to maintain his balance. Though Becky tried to discover the cause through many trips to the specialists, we were not aware his cancer had returned until November 11th, his birthday, when the doctor gave us a terrifying prognosis: Lung and Brain Cancer, inoperable, two weeks. Even then, Ed remained positive, swearing he would fight it. He fought and won an additional month of time with us beyond that prognosis. During that time, he declined, but not as quickly as many cancer patients do. It wasn’t until the last week of his life that he became bed-ridden and even then his mind was focused on his family and their well-being. On the last day of his life, he asked God to take him and God answered at 5:08 p.m. on Christmas Day. He had the comfort of loving family around him as he passed. We are sad to have lost him, but so glad that he left this world with dignity and the surety that he’d lived a good, godly life. We expect to see him again someday, though he promised to whisper stories of heaven to us in our dreams.With great love and hope,The family of Edward F. Wagenblast

WAGENBLAST, Edward

December 25, 2010