On July 25, 2023, Wayne Milton Pressnall, died at Great Plains Health, at the age of 88. He was born in Odell, Nebraska, in 1934, to William Milton and Greta Rose (Crandall) Pressnall.
Wayne spent his adolescent years in Wymore, Nebraska, graduating with the class of 1952. Following high school, he pursued an education in teaching at Peru State College, finishing in 1959 with an undergraduate degree. Upon graduating Peru, Wayne set out to Yellowstone National Park for an adventure when he met Gloria Epps, whom was also visiting the park. The two spent the entire summer together, hiking, square-dancing, seeing movies, and enjoying each other’s company. Wayne and Gloria immediately bonded over their love for the outdoors. On August 17, 1959, just before summer would come to an end for the pair, the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake occurred, giving the couple an incredibly unique story that connected them deeper. Shortly after the event, Gloria went back home to Texas and Wayne to Nebraska. He visited Gloria for the holidays and wrote a letter to her every day of the year until they were wed on June 4, 1960, in Dallas, Texas.
In 1961, the couple was living in Hudson, Wisconsin, when their first child, a daughter, Gretchen, was born. A second child, a son, William, was born in 1963, in Philadelphia, at the University of Teaching. They spent their lives traveling all over the country, spending each summer in a different state, attending summer schools and teaching. Ultimately, Wayne received his Master’s in physics at the University of Pennsylvania. He had the capabilities to teach any subject but focused on science, math, and computers. Wayne taught at several locations around the country until the couple made their forever home in North Platte, Nebraska, where he taught physical science, physics, and computers at North Platte High School for 26 years until his retirement in 1995.
Wayne seemed to be busier in his retirement than in his working years with the large number of passions he had including chess, theater, traveling, music, sports, and computers. When he decided he was interested in something, he was “all in”. Wayne won various chess tournaments and awards for his game play that included a win at the Nebraska State Championship in 1995 and winning postal master in postal chess. He was also responsible for orchestrating chess tournaments at the Nebraskland Days festivities for several years.
Theater was another activity that Wayne was heavily involved in within the community and throughout his childhood years. He was a child actor, performed in high school plays, and won an award for dramatic speaking in 1952 for his character as the grandfather in the play “You Can’t Take It with You”. Wayne held a strong presence in the North Platte Community Playhouse, directing and performing, and was on the Community Playhouse board for many years. He designed the lights at the new location and when he was not directing or performing, you could often find him running the lights for plays.
Wayne had a love for classical music; he and Gloria frequented several operas. They enjoyed traveling all over the country together, Wayne even converted his van into sleeping quarters for road trips. They went on many cruises together and traveled to all the family reunions. He was a sports fanatic, watching everything from Nebraska football to women’s basketball. The Kansas City Royals are who he rooted for the loudest. Wayne could also do just about anything when it came to computers. He figured out how to “hack” before “hacking” was a thing; he took apart floppy discs to decode them in order to make copies. Wayne lived life on his own terms and lived a life full of love and adventure.
Those that remain to remember Wayne are his wife, Gloria Pressnall, of North Platte; his children, Getchen (Dan) Miller, of Phoenix, AZ, Will (Lori Olson) Pressnall, of Raton, NM; grandchildren, Phillip Miller, Sam Miller, both of Phoenix, AZ, Wesley Pressnall, Adrienne (Zach) Zancana, all of Raton, NM; siblings, John (Gloria) Bernadt, of Hebron, NE, Greta (Ron) Iles, Delinda, IA, Lucille Taylor, of Beatrice; several cousins, nieces, nephews, and other family.
Preceding Wayne in death is his parents, William and Greta; brothers, Leslie White and Lonn Pressnall; sister, Merna Pressnall.
Per the wishes of Wayne, cremation has been chosen and no services will take place.
Online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Adams & Swanson Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.