Wayne Alan Sheets

August 6, 1942 – November 6, 2018

Wayne A. Sheets, 76, passed away after a four month battle with lung cancer at St. Vincent's Hospital on Election Day. His last regret was not being well enough to vote.

Wayne was born in Lafayette, IN where he attended school until his senior year in high school when his family moved to Indianapolis. Even though he graduated from Broad Ripple High School he always considered Lafayette Jefferson his home school. He enjoyed attending the Lafayette Jeff Class of 1960 monthly luncheon gatherings and catching up on Purdue sports. Although he followed the Purdue teams, he never would watch a game for fear they would lose.

Growing up, he enjoyed going to both the Brown and Sheets family farms in Clinton County. He and his sister Harriet spent many weekends with their cousins exploring the nooks and crannies of the barns, chicken houses, and corn fields. Wayne was a Boy Scout and still has his uniform and badge sash; and, of course, the infamous Boy Scout canteen.

Wayne attended (IU)PUI and Purdue University Forestry School prior to being drafted into the Army. He served his two years in Germany, driving trucks between missile bases during the Cold War of the 1960s. Upon discharge from the Army in 1967, he began working for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources where he worked the majority of his career in the Division of Engineering. He became a registered land surveyor in 1986 after taking courses at IUPUI and doing a lot of independent study in the basement of Wayne and Ginny's first house. He retired in May 2009.

Wayne met Virginia "Ginny" Erhart at the Department of Natural Resources. Ginny also worked her entire career for IDNR retiring in 2008. Wayne and Ginny were married on June 29, 1974 in the courtyard of North United Methodist Church, Indianapolis. Being state government employees, the wedding date was chosen to correspond with the end of the State's fiscal year. Wayne's two cousins, Bill Sheets and Dick Sheets, were also married the same summer which led to many great stories about how the three Sheets boys got captured.

Wayne thoroughly enjoyed the brotherhood of his Masonic fraternal organizations. He was Worshipful Master of Broad Ripple Lodge #643. He was the presiding head of all three York Rite bodies. He was part of the Raper #1 Commandery Drill Team that won six consecutive Triennial Drill Competitions. Wayne served for many years as Prelate for Raper Commandery and frequently was asked to do the Prelate's part in the degree work for other commanderies. He served as Deputy Inspector General for the Indiana Grand Commandery and was Prelate Emeritus. He was past Governor for the Banks of the Wabash College and past Sovereign Master for the St. Bernard deClairvaux Council #256 Allied Masonic Degrees. Wayne was a member of the Indianapolis Valley of the Scottish Rite (50 yr.), Murat Shrine (50 yr.), Sahara Grotto, Royal Order of Scotland, Yeoman of York, and probably a few others he kept secret from Ginny so she wouldn't complain about his attendance at so many meetings. For his dedication to Masonry, Wayne was honored with receiving the Knights Templar Cross of Honor from the Grand Encampment of Knights' Templar, DeMolay Legion of Honor, and the Order of the Purple Cross. He was an honorary member of the Order of High Priesthood of South Dakota.

Wayne did have other interests. He maintained the cemetery for White Lick Presbyterian Church. He and Ginny had season tickets to the Indianapolis Symphony Pops concerts; played racquetball (a few years back); played some golf but enjoyed watching it more on TV; attended the Indy 500 for many years; loved NASCAR and Formula 1. Although seemingly a quiet individual, he had a quick wit and dry sense of humor. A Facebook tribute from Mike Sponsler, previous director of the Division of Reclamation, IDNR provides a fitting description of Wayne: "He was a kind man. You couldn't have asked for a better husband and friend. He will be missed by all who knew him."

Wayne is survived by his wife of 44 years, Ginny; his sister Harriet Sheets, sister-in-law Barb Barlow, Uncle Max Sheets, 105 year old Aunt Dorothy Robinson, cousins, nieces, nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews and four rescue cats who comforted Wayne with extra warmth and purrs.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Scottish Rite Masonic Children's Learning Centers, White Lick Presbyterian Church, your favorite charity, or plant in tree in Wayne's memory.

Visitation will be Monday, November 12 from 5:00-7:00 pm with Masonic service at 7:00 pm at Matthews Mortuary, Brownsburg.  Service of Celebration will be Tuesday, November 13 at 11:00 am at White Lick Presbyterian Church followed by lunch and graveside services at 3:30 pm at Hopewell Cemetery north of Frankfort, IN.