Wayne Broders

Wayne Raymond Broders, 92, of Davenport, Iowa, passed away peacefully while surrounded by family on Friday, October 4, at Genesis Medical Center.

Wayne was born in Davenport, Iowa on May 13, 1927 to Raymond and Agnes (Brus) Broders. He was raised in Blue Grass, Iowa, and graduated from Davenport High School in 1944. He served in the US Navy until the end of World War II in 1946. Wayne was employed by Northwestern Bell for 36 years, retiring in 1984.

On May 15, 1947, Wayne married Joan Holder. They were blessed with one daughter and six sons. In August 1976, Joan passed from heart disease.

Wayne was blessed to find another love of his life and married Claire Seaman Hart on February 11, 1983. Through this union, Wayne acquired another daughter and two sons.

Wayne was generous of spirit and the kindest person many of us have known. Wayne’s acts of kindness are enumerable:he was always ready to lend a hand, run an errand, help a needy person. Until just this month, he traveled all around town visiting friends, especially those who were ill or hospitalized; he entertained grandkids; and he walked his neighbor’s dog daily. With a deep understanding of people’s characters, Wayne was always compassionate, and he encouraged people to be and do their best.

Wayne never met a stranger. Wherever he went – church, grocery store, or sporting event – Wayne made many friends, both young and old. He knew his neighbors, and after just a short visit, he would know your neighbors, too. Over the years, people would re-introduce themselves to Wayne, and Wayne could spend hours catching up with them.

For seven years, Wayne and Claire worked part-time as fill-in hosts at bed-and-breakfast inns, two in the Quad Cities and one in Colorado. They enjoyed meeting guests from all over the country, and they liked giving the resident innkeepers time to vacation.

Well-known for his love of sports, Wayne played baseball, basketball, golf, and softball (including on an Iowa state championship team that played in a national tournament in 1957.) He coached Little League, including a First Trust Bank baseball team with all of the Broders boys. He bowled with many teams, skied into his 70's, and bicycled into his 80's. Over his life, Wayne attended so many sporting events in the area, especially when his kids or grandkids were participating or when they took place at Assumption High School.

At his 90th birthday celebration, surrounded by family and friends, Assumption High School honored Wayne’s years of loyal support by bestowing a lifetime pass to all high school sporting events. The PA announcing, “Wayne Broders has left the building,” had become a classic. As had Wayne himself.

Wayne’s love and commitment to his family, friends, and community remain a lasting source of inspiration.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Joan, and son Patrick “Mav” Broders. Those left to honor his memory include his wife Claire; daughters Barb Walton and Mary Claire Hart Summers (Bill); sons Dave (Cindy), Mike (Nancy), John (Kathy), Tom, and Mark Broders; Mike (Joan) and Marty (Kim) Hart; plus 22 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

The family will welcome friends and share stories together during a visitation on Thursday, October 10, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, 614 N. Main Street, Davenport. The visitation will conclude with eulogies and a short prayer service for all who would like to attend. Additional visitation will begin Friday, October 11 at 9:30 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 916 E. Rusholme, Davenport. Funeral services and a mass of Christian burial will begin at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul the Apostle. Burial with military honors will follow at Rock Island National Cemetery on Arsenal Island. All are invited for lunch and conversation at St. Paul the Apostle following the burial, with thanks to the St. Paul Altar and Rosary Society for serving lunch. (Those not attending the burial are welcome to stay at the church hall between the funeral and the luncheon.)

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Assumption High School (https://www.assumptionhigh.org), Gilda’s Club of the Quad Cities (https://www.gildasclubqc.org), or ServeHaiti (https://www.servehaiti.org).