Wayne A. Giddings

Wayne A. Giddings

Iowa CIty

Wayne A. Giddings, 100, of Iowa City, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at the Bird House, a Hospice Home in Iowa City. He had suffered a broken hip from a fall a week earlier.

Wayne was born on Nov. 13, 1922, on his parents’ farm near Clinton, Iowa, to Alvan and Anna (Bruse) Giddings. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Ione Dannatt; a brother, Harold Giddings; and his first wife, Merle.

He is survived by his wife, Brenda Cruikshank, M.D., and her two children, Catherine Cruikshank Shymansky of Iowa City and Dwight R. Cruikshank (Lorinda) of Columbia, Mo.; sister, Doloris Ruch of Beloit, Wis.; three grandchildren, Corrina Shymansky of Atlanta, Ga., Nicholas Shymansky and Bond J. Shymansky of Iowa City; and eight nieces and nephews, Ken (Sandy) Ruch of Machesney Park, Ill., Barb Kunkel of Madison, Wis., Carolyn (Wayne) Sutton of Tulsa, Okla., Randy Giddings of DeKalb, Ill., Lita Giddings of Hurst, Texas, Brian Giddings of Sycamore, Ill., Nathan (Virginia) Giddings of Graford, Texas, and Cheryl (Dennis) Schroeder of DeWitt, Iowa.

Wayne attended a one-room school and graduated from Elvira High School. He entered the University of Iowa to study mechanical engineering in January 1942, but after Pearl Harbor happened, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Navy. He transferred to the University of Wisconsin as part of the Navy V-12 college training program through January 1945. The Navy then sent him to USNR Midshipman School at Columbia University for three months of training to be commissioned “Ensign USNR.” After six months of hands-on diesel training in the “Officers Diesel School” at North Carolina State College, he was assigned to the USS LCS [L] 63 as the ship’s engineering officer. He also served as commissary officer, stores officer, and executive officer aboard ship prior to being released from the Navy in June 1946.

Wayne finished his mechanical engineering degree as a civilian at the University of Wisconsin in January 1947. General Electric offered him an opportunity to further develop his engineering skills in their engineer training program where he worked on a variety of projects such as developing a battery for a submarine torpedo that activated when launched into saltwater, testing large electric locomotive motors, and refrigerator design and manufacturing. After five years at GE, in September 1952, he was hired by Amana Refrigeration, Inc. as “Supervisor – Engineering Laboratory.” Over the years, he served in many roles at Amana and was known for his innovative problem-solving. He retired from Amana in December 1987 as “Senior Vice President – Manufacturing & Engineering” with responsibility for operations in Amana, Iowa, and Fayetteville, Tenn.

In his business and personal life, Wayne was able to travel to many countries including Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. After Wayne and Brenda were married on May 30, 1975, they honeymooned to Jamaica, and in later years traveled to England, Scotland, Canada, Australia, Alaska, and China. In the U.S., Wayne loved visiting the national parks and family vacations to the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico beaches. He also enjoyed playing golf prior to a shoulder replacement. He spent many hours managing several rental properties, working in his yard and watching the birds at his feeders. He was very involved in the Amana Refrigeration Retirees’ Club and liked to visit friends who were in retirement and nursing homes. Wayne was truly invested in the lives of his friends and family and was always ready to celebrate their successes and help out in any way he could. He especially treasured his grandchildren’s visits, and they appreciated how he cared about their everyday lives and his generous spirit.

Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 2, at Lensing Funeral Home in Iowa City with the funeral service at 11 a.m. Burial with military honors at Oakland Cemetery will follow the services. A lunch will be served at the Kirkwood Room. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church or Iowa City Hospice.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.lensingfuneral.com.