Wayne D Grocki

Chilton WI

Wayne D. Grocki, age 80, of Chilton, WI died on February 26, 2023 at Thedacare Regional Medical Center in Neenah, WI following a battle with pancreatic cancer.  He was born September 29, 1942 in Milwaukee, WI, son of the late Joseph and Virginia Grocki.  He graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and had a very long and successful career at Zenith Electronics. He married Diane Niemeyer on April 7,1973 and they raised three children together in Libertyville, IL.  Preferring the peacefulness of rural Wisconsin, Wayne and Diane built and moved into their retirement home in Chilton, WI.

Wayne will be remembered for his pragmatism, resourcefulness, and endless capacity to help others.  He loved technology, politics, and was very passionate about designing and building things.  His most notable hobbies included woodworking, auto mechanics, and photography and was a lover of classical music.  He was known for crafting beautifully designed custom furniture for his family and created a very elaborate stereo system to ensure the best sound quality that true audiophiles would fully appreciate.  He was a treasured resource for anyone who shared his interests and would be willing to spend all of his free time to mentor them.  In his career, he was a very well respected electrical engineer who primarily designed televisions and radios.  He proudly secured several highly visible patents related to radio frequency technologies and participated in several US Military-related projects.

Wayne is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Diane; his three children: Samantha (Eugene) Seitz, Ian (Christina) Grocki, and James Grocki; two grandchildren: Isabella Grocki and Mikayla Grocki; and a sister-in-law Donna Stone.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Virginia; a sister: Susan Grocki; a nephew: Christopher Lisowski; Diane’s parents: Dr. Henry Niemeyer and Marion Niemeyer; and a brother-in-law Steven Stone

The family is planning private services at this time.