Burlington loses a hometown hero

Wanasek poured himself and his business into community service

By Ed Nadolski

Editor in Chief

                  As Burlington’s leading excavating contractor, Jim Wanasek dug a lot out of the community he called home his entire life. But, according to those who knew him best, he put much more back into it.

                  As a business owner, volunteer, philanthropist, family man and community advocate, Wanasek created foundations for more than just homes, sewers and roads.

                  According to former Mayor Claude Lois, a close friend of Wanasek, he donated the time, money and resources that helped build the community – whether it was ball fields for young athletes, scholarships for 4-H’ers or the steadfast resolve to preserve ChocolateFest as an engine for good works.

                   “He was just such a huge asset,” Lois said. “Whenever anyone needed anything – the chamber, ChocolateFest, Kiwanis – he was always there.”

                  Wanasek died Feb. 23 of pancreatic cancer at his Burlington home. He was four days past his 70th birthday.

                  His son, John, said his dad’s final wishes were much like the man himself.

                  “He called me and my sister into the room and we thought, ‘Here it comes, better bring a box of tissues,’” John said.

                  Instead, he offered a few simple, yet sublime, bits of advice – one about life and four about how to handle his funeral.

                  First, he told his two adult children to be thankful for what they have. According to John, his dad was most thankful for Pam, his wife of 46 years, his children, his grandchildren, and his employees and customers.

                  Then, he relayed his final wishes for his funeral. The music should include “Ave Maria” and “Amazing Grace,” the service should not be too long – it only took 18 minutes when he married the former Pamela Pella in 1965, he reminded them – and don’t spend too much money on it.

                  Finally, he asked his family to host a party following the service to give everyone a chance to remember the good times they had.

                  That service is set for Thursday, March 8, at Veterans Terrace – a community facility the Wanasek Corp. help build. A visitation is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 6 p.m. and a “Celebration of Life” reception from 7-9 p.m. (A complete obituary appears on page 5 of this edition).

                  Taking the business started by his father at his grandfather’s blacksmith shop in 1942, Jim Wanasek built a prominent excavating and utility contracting firm. He started with the company by digging graves with a backhoe at the age of 10 and rose to president and chairman of the board. And while he turned day-to-day operations over to his son in the past decade, Jim remained active in the business until his death.

                  John Wanasek said his father had struggled with a series of health problems in the past decade, most of them brought on by his weight. However, in the past year, with the help of a special diet, he had lost 100 pounds and was looking forward to the benefits of improved health.

                  That changed late last year when some problems led to the discovery of advanced pancreatic cancer in January, according to John.

                  By then the family had already made plans to host a 70th birthday party for Jim. With Jim’s blessing, the open-house style reception was held Feb. 19 with more than 120 people visiting – among them U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan.

                  According to John, it was the last chance many of his father’s friends had to speak with him. “It was really nice,” John said. “Everyone got to talk to him. He was tired, but it was good.”

                  The many friendships Jim Wanasek developed over the years were a testament to the impact he had on his community, according to David Lynch, a prominent local businessman.

                  “He was truly one of the most spectacular people I’ve ever known,” Lynch said. “He never put anyone down. It didn’t matter if you were the janitor or the president – he’d treat you the same.”

                  Lynch was a longtime friend of Jim’s and in recent years worked closely with him on the creation of Fox River State Bank.

                  He said the idea for the bank grew out of a desire to create an institution that could make responsive decisions at the local level on projects that would benefit the community.

                  “Jim wanted the decisions to be made here,” Lynch said.

                  Jim had a long history of community service that began back in 1965 when at the age of 23 he served as director for the Teen Canteen, a series of Friday night dances for teens at the former Veterans Building.

                  It was a legacy that followed him in nearly every endeavor he attempted. Most notable among his efforts were his work with the Burlington Kiwanis Club, the Racine County Fair and ChocolateFest – the city’s marquee annual festival.

                  “He didn’t say ‘no’ too often,” John Wanasek said. “I don’t think we turned anything down. The more difficult it was, the more he considered it a challenge.”

                  Jim was a familiar face at local fund-raising auctions, often leaving with the highest priced item at the end of the night. He was also a fixture at the annual County Fair livestock auctions. His purchases helped fund college educations for many students.

                  Even when his health declined during the past decade, he remained committed to the fair.

                  “It didn’t matter how hot it was – he was going to the fair to buy animals,” John said. “If he didn’t think a bid was going up fast enough, he’d get in there with his own (bidding) paddle in one hand and someone else’s in the other.”

                  In the past dozen years, Jim’s efforts focused on cementing a future for ChocolateFest following a series of money-losing years. He was involved in the controversial decisions to serve beer at the festival and move the festival to the Memorial Day weekend, which created an extra day to generate revenue for the many volunteer groups that staff the festival.

                  In both cases, the festival overcame the controversy and came out stronger for it.

                  Bil Scherrer, president of the ChocolateFest Board, said Jim’s efforts are a big reason why the festival continues to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for community service groups.

                  “He’d just take care of things,” Scherrer said. “He’d be pulling his own guys off job sites to get things done for ChocolateFest.”

                  Jim was a familiar fixture at ChocolateFest, cruising the grounds in a golf cart.

                  Scherrer said much of what Jim did was behind the scenes. “He was a silent giver. He didn’t want to broadcast it.”

                  Over the years, however, his community service efforts garnered recognition. Among the honors bestowed on him were the Rotary Humanitarian Award, the Kiwanis Frank Tobin and Distinguished Service Awards and the Community Service Award from the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce.

                  In 2007, he was recognized by the Wisconsin State Legislature with a Hometown Hero Award. John Wanasek said it was an award his father was particularly proud of.

                  Lois said very few people know the full extent to which Jim has helped the community.

                  Back in the early part of last decade, the Wanasek Corp. underbid all other competitors for the Bridge Street railroad overpass project by $1 million.

                  “That’s how much he wanted to do that project for his community,” Lois said.

                  To his friends, Jim was a man of quick wit, sharp tongue, and a sometimes-stubborn disposition. He was a fixture in the 9 a.m. Coffee Club at Fred’s Parkview – a group featuring many of Burlington’s leading businessmen.

                  “When he made a point, there was no question what he was telling you,” Lynch said.

                  Lois agreed, and said, “Like him or not, his heart was in the right place.”

                  Those who did criticize Jim usually did so because they believed he was too influential and powerful when it came to matters of local government and development.

                  He was sometimes derisively referred to as a member of the Good Ol’ Boys Club.

                  “You can say whatever you want about the Good Ol’ Boys, but without Jim Wanasek, this community would be in a world of hurt,” Lois said. “It would be a very different Burlington.”

                  Lynch also dismissed any criticism as misguided and uninformed.

                  “We’ve lost someone who not only cared, but he did something about it,” he said. “Everything he’s done – he’s done it well.

            “I don’t think he left anything on the table.”