Wayne G. Jobe

Wayne G. Jobé, 82, died November 22, 2023, in Kansas City, Kansas, as the result of a fall. He was born in Los Angeles, CA, on July 4, 1941, to Graeme and Beatrice (Laurence) Jobé.

He graduated from Miller Dorsey High School in Los Angeles in 1959 and joined the United States Air Force that summer. His time in the military took him to San Antonio and El Paso, Tx, and Rapid City, SD. He was discharged as an Airman Second Class. He graduated from the University of Utah and worked as an Electrical Engineer. He married his first wife Beverly and they had two children: Rusty and Nikki. His career took them to Ft. Carson and Colorado Springs, CO; Wamsutter, WY; and Dodge City, KS.

He married the love of his life, Leslie (Davis) Stegman in Dodge City in 1981. His career took them to Midland and Houston, TX; Omaha, NE; Roswell, NM; Owensboro, KY and Zanesville, OH. He and Leslie were avid gardeners, growing hundreds of varieties of iris and lilies. Everywhere they lived, Wayne would build a pond, and often a gazebo, in their backyard. They were both active in local garden clubs wherever they went and judged flower shows.

After Leslie died in 2016 he retired and moved to Kansas City to be close to family. He found a wide variety of hobbies to occupy his newfound free time, including ice skating; taking piano lessons; relearning the violin (which he had played in middle school); playing bridge; auditing college classes; and being certified as an amateur ham radio operator. He volunteered with the Greater Kansas City Iris Society to maintain gardens in Loose Park. He enjoyed weekly coffee with his friends at the American Legion in Overland Park, KS. Wayne was a proud blood donor, giving blood his entire life, only stopping in the past year because his iron levels weren’t high enough. 

Wayne loved sports and was an avid fan of the Denver Broncos, until he moved to Kansas City where he became a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, except when they were playing the Broncos. He loved college football and basketball and followed teams from many of the cities where he had once lived, recently becoming a big fan of KU basketball. He tolerated baseball if his daughter Denise wanted him to go to a game.

He loved to play cards, with Pinochle being his favorite, spending countless hours playing with his family. He could often be seen out walking, sometimes five miles a day, while he listened to books on tape. He brought some iris with him from their yard in Ohio and planted several beds of iris at his house in Kansas City, often entering the blooms in iris shows.

Wayne was very kind and helpful, always the first to volunteer. He loved hanging out with his KC family, who have a big family dinner once a month. He was always up for an adventure - whether it was visiting a new part of the city, driving alone to Florida to visit his daughter Sabrina, or teaching himself to sew so he could mend his own clothes. 

He was a member of the Maple Hill Baptist Church, American Legion Post 0370, the Greater Kansas City Iris Society, the Wyandotte County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

He is survived by children and stepchildren: Denise Riedel & Charlie, Overland Park; Sabrina Howerton & Doug, Cape Coral, FL; Rusty Jobé & Bharathi, Tigard, OR; Steve Stegman & Judith, Texarkana, TX; Debbie Stegman, Hays, KS; and Nikki Conlon and Paul, Tampa, FL. Grandchildren: Andy Riedel, Overland Park; Josh Edge, Grapevine, TX; Elizabeth Hiatt & Thomas, Lenexa, KS; Curtis Edge & Katie, Owensboro, KY; Steven Stegman and Tara, New Boston, TX; Garreth Stegman, Hays; Shelby Stegman, Hays; Victoria Jones and Larry, Jacksonville, AR; Katherine Riedel and Cody Fiola, Kansas City, MO; Rebecca Stegman, Arlington Heights, IL; Aaron Jobé, Tigard; Jonathan Conlon, Tampa; Brittainy Howerton and fiancé Brian, Owensboro; Casey Bouldin & Erika, Dallas, TX; Jennifer Snyder & Dustin, Texarkana; Crystal Rose, Texarkana; Lilly Robinson, Texarkana. Great-grandchildren: Ava, Baylee, Sadie, Sawyer, Liam, Memphis, Maeve, Zoie, Charli, Haiden, Gauge, Colton and Gunnar. His sister Joan Limoges and Skip, Dana Point, California. And his faithful dog Buster, who loved to go for long walks and car rides with Wayne.

 

He was preceded in death by his parents Graeme and Bee Jobé; his wife, Leslie Jobé; and his stepson Chris Stegman.

Funeral service will be at 10am on Friday with visitation at 9am, January 5, 2024 at the Maple Hill Baptist Church, 2611 S 31st St, Kansas City, KS. Burial with Military Honors at 2pm on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at Maple Grove Cemetery, 1100 Matt Down Rd, Dodge City, KS.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you pay off school lunch debt at your local school, make a donation to Harvester’s Food Bank or donate to your own local food bank.