Clay Wilwert Obituary, Dubuque IA, Resident Died Battling Pulmonary Sarcoidosis
Clay Wilwert Obituary, Death – Clay Wilwert was born in Dubuque, Iowa, to Dorothy and Eldie Wilwert on October 18, 1959. Clay graduated from Dubuque Senior in 1978 and married Janelle Wilwert on July 12, 1997. Clay, 84, died of pulmonary sarcoidosis at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, on October 9, 2023, surrounded by his family. It said he was 63.
At Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road, guests can pay their respects from 1:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 15, 2023, followed by a time of sharing. Send condolences to the family at www.leonardfuneralhome.com. Clay adored his wife and three boys, Chad, Jeremy, and Brandon, and was proud of them. Clay liked seeing his grandchildren play sports as a grandpa.
Clay’s parents, who founded Wilwert’s Harley-Davidson in 1959, shaped his love of motorcycling and the outdoors. Clay became an owner in 1998 and opened a second location in Galena, Illinois, after working in sales, service, and parts. Clay enjoyed racing motorcycles, notably motorcross, hill-climb, drag bikes, and snowmobiles, for purposes other than profit. After retiring from motorbikes, Clay switched to cycling to help his wife complete RAGBRAI.
Clay supported NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and the Green Bay Packers in his own time. Clay adored making Uncle LaVerne’s BBQ, cream corn, and jelly. Clay enjoyed outdoors and deer hunting in tree stands. He spent hours meticulously restoring his 1963 Chevy Nova and other motorcycles in addition to being a skilled mechanic. Clay hosted numerous Dubuque Fighting Saints alumni as Dubuque Youth Hockey Association president.
Cooper Wilwert, his beloved baby grandchild, followed his father, Eldie Wilwert, and father-in-law, Jerry Lehman. Matt and Alma Wilwert, Charles and Bessie Martelle, and numerous aunts, uncles, and grandparents predeceased him. He is survived by his sons Chad (Carrie), Jeremy (Kerry), and Brandon (Kristen), as well as his grandchildren Colby and Corbyn Wilwert, Morgan and Issac Bickett, Mia and Max Dirksen, and his loving wife Janelle.
Dorothy, his mother; Todd (Jena), Dane (Lynette), and Wendy Wilwert, his brothers; Janet, his wife’s mother; Ward, his brother-in-law; Chad, his nephew; Jenny, his sister-in-law; Tom, his nephew; and Jenny, his sister-in-law; and additional nieces and nephew Elsa, Wunder, and Nova, three Weimaraners, will miss him too. The Wilwert family thanks everyone who cared for Clay at Mayo Clinic Hospital and Saint Mary’s Campus in Rochester, Minnesota. Clay’s family encourages donations to the Sarcoidosis Research Foundation in place of flowers.
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