Paul E. Waigand

Date of Birth

Jan 18,1947

Date of Death

Apr 12,2011

NAME PAUL WAIGAND, age 64, of Elburn, passed from this life into eternal life in an instant on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. He will be remembered for the millions of memories made with friends and family. BORN: He was born January 18, 1947, in Chicago, IL, the son of John and Anna Mae (Johnson) Waigand.EARLY YEARS:He grew up in Chicago for a time before moving to Worth, IL, where he graduated high school in 1965. MILITARY: Following graduation he enlisted in the United States Army to serve his country but also to help pay for his education which was very important to him. He was stationed in both Korea and Germany before he was honorably discharged in 1968.EDUCATION: Paul then attended Moraine Valley Junior College and later NIU where he majored in both Math and Economics and received a Bachelor’s Degree. OCCUPATION / WORK HISTORY:Paul began working for Merrill Lynch in 1974 as a financial consultant. He retired as a Senior Vice President after twenty-eight years in 2002. MARRIAGE: Paul was united in marriage to Jane Bendowski and began raising a family of two daughters, Corinne and Kimberly. They lived in Naperville for a time before moving to Elburn in 1994. Paul was lucky in love twice when he met a very special someone in 2001. Christine Bradford captured his heart but gave hers in return. They were united in marriage on December 8, 2007.RESIDENTIAL HISTORY: They began their new life together in their present home of Elburn. MEMBERSHIPS: Paul was member of the Illinois Tree Farmer Association and was responsible for planting over ten thousand trees in one year. He was named Illinois State Tree Farmer of the Year. LIFE NOTES: Paul loved his family, especially his children and later his grandchildren. His passion for them was present for all to see when he bought 175 acres in Seneca, IL and named it Valhalla Farms in 1984. There he built a cabin, two barns, dug twelve acres of lake and planted 40,000 trees. This was his way of preserving his legacy as well as the future of his children and grandchildren. Paul was a kind and generous person, giving his money, time, talent and heart to charities and educational causes. Paul helped anyone in need and never met a stranger. To Paul, a person’s race or creed mattered little; it was how you treated others that matter the most. Paul also loved speed. He liked being the fastest "boy on the block" and he accomplished just that by supercharging his custom colored 2006 Chevy Corvette, teasing out over 640 hp so that could almost literally fly. He also liked the classics; movies, art and cars captured his attention. Paul was a collector at heart and his many collections adorn every surface of his home. Paul never did anything half-way. His belief was that you had to be "the best" in whatever you did. He worked hard, but also played hard. Paul passed on his passions to his children and taught them how to live and love with abandon. One of those passions was photography, a talent passed on to his daughter Corrine who turned what was a hobby into a profession, a fact that made him immensely proud. To Kimberly, it was the gift of song. Her voice spoke to his heart like nothing else could. His grandchildren, Claire and Chase, were loved with all his heart and soul but that love also extended to his "babies", first a Great Pyrenees named Rocky and later White German Shepherds named Sgt. Major, Sasha and Gretta. There was never a better card player as Paul’s eyes could see everything on the table and track every card at a glance. His mathematical mind and phenomenal memory took everyone hostage when they played Texas Hold ‘Em, Pinochle, Gin and many more. He also loved to read sci-fi books and watch western movies; his collections of both books and movies numbered in the thousands. Though the sun shone brightly on Paul’s life, the warmth of love from family and friends eventually failed to reach his soul. He couldn’t see past the darkness that descended upon him and in one fateful moment chose to leave all the good in his life behind. The echoes of his memories live on in the hearts and minds of all who knew him. They are now the guardians of his legacy, a legacy that is full of all the laughter and love he shared with those lucky enough to be loved in return—he will never be forgotten. SURVIVORS: He is survived by his wife Christine, Two daughters;Corinne Waigand of Warrenville, IL and Kimberly (Eric) Stolpestad and their children Claire and Chase, all of Oswego, IL. Two brothers:Martin Waigand of Seneca, IL and Steve (Terry) Waigand of Fort Meyers, FL;Several nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews and a family of friends. PRECEDED:He is preceded in death by his parents. VISITATION / FUNERAL Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. with a "Remembrance Service" to follow at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 16, 2011, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL 60119. Family and friends are invited to take part in remembering and honoring Paul through story and song. Private family interment will follow cremation at a later date. MEMORIAL In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in his name to benefit his favorite charities. Checks may be made to the "Paul Waigand Memorial" and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, 60119. Tributes may also be forwarded to the same address or on the web at www.conleycare.com. For those unable to attend, a live webcast on www.conleycare.com will begin five minutes prior to the service. It will also be available 48 hours later in on-demand form for viewing at any time.

Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. with a "Remembrance Service" to follow at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 16, 2011, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL 60119. Family and friends are invited to take part in remembering and honoring Paul through story and song.

Private family interment will follow cremation at a later date.

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