Will Wolfgang

Will Wolfgang was born in the small town of Leetonia, Ohio on March 21, 1928. He was the first and only son of Olive Kathryn Oneil Wolfgang and George Ralph Wolfgang. Will was a life-long Lutheran. Will was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Leetonia. He attended elementary school there and graduated in 1946 from high school in the adjacent town of Columbiana, Ohio.

In order to gather funds for college, he worked for a year in the local Columbiana Storm Window Factory as a glass cutter. He became fascinated with electronics by building and operating an amateur radio station, and he was licensed by the government to operate using Station W4BCM. In 1947 he enrolled at the University of Cincinnati Electrical Engineering College. It is a university that functions on the cooperative basis, providing opportunities to work in industry for experience and help with tuition. He completed his studies in 1952, receiving a full EE degree, rather than a 4-year BA degree.

He accepted a job offered by Western Electric Co. in North Carolina. The draft board recognized this and eventually drafted him for a 2-year stint in the Signal Corps, continuing guided missile work as he had been doing with WECo. Most of his time was spent at the White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico. He returned to WECo., and after a couple years he was promoted to the Bell Telephone Laboratories which was directing the projects at WECo.

Soon, Will's pastor at Macedonia Lutheran Church, Burlington, NC introduced Will to a young lady Jane Sigmon that had been in seminary with the pastor. It was a wonderful event. She would eventually become Will's wife, and they were married in 1959. Their only daughter, Bonnie Beth, was born to them a year later. Will and Jane prospered in love, and Will says it was a match made in heaven.

Will is survived by his daughter, Beth, and grandson, Andrew.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Cordelia Sigmon Wolfgang.

The memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Calvary Lutheran Church with Pastor Lauren Carlson officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, 1721 Enon Road, Valdese, NC 28690.

Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.