Submitted by: Dan Rich

Wayne A. Columbia

March 9, 1940 - April 26, 1997

South Bend Tribune 4/28/1997

Wayne A. Columbia, 57, of Richard Avenue, South Bend, died at 6:23 a.m. Saturday, April 26, in Memorial Hospital. He was born on March 9, 1940, in Newport News, Va., and had lived in the South Bend area since 1956, coming from Newport News.

On Oct. 24, 1958, in South Bend, he married Joelen Simon who survives along with a daughter, Colene Hammond and her husband, Bruce of Mishawaka, a son, Rickey and his wife, Melissa of Walkerton; four grandchildren, Nicole and Austin Hammond of Mishawaka and Ross and Kyler Columbia of Walkerton, his mother, Virginia Columbia of Elkhart; three sisters, Joan Connon and Darlene Begore, both of Osceola and Sue Firth of Hampton, Va.; and three brothers, Thelbert ''Bill'' of Osceola, Michael of Williamsburg, Va. and Gene of Hampton. He was preceded in death by his father, Thelbert Columbia and two sisters, Barbara Connon and Doris White.

Mr. Columbia retired in 1991 from Uniroyal after which he went to work for Holladay Corp. in the maintenance department.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, at Welsheimer Funeral Home, 521 N. Williamn St. Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday in the funeral home. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, Mishawaka. The family has requested that memorial contributions be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (International), P.O. Box 1183, Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 11779-9797.