Walter Wayne Shickles

Walter Wayne Shickles, 82, of New Albany, Indiana passed away April 28, 2022. Walter was born in Corydon, Indiana on September 13, 1939 and attended Corydon High School, where he excelled at basketball and baseball, all sports really.

Wayne joined the U.S. Air Force in 1958 and was stationed at Offut Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. When asked about his responsibilities in the USAF, Wayne always said he was “in charge of the money.” Throughout his life, frugality was his strongpoint.

Upon leaving the military in 1961, he married his sweetheart, Charlotte Shoemaker, and began raising a family and working to save money to build their own home.

Wayne was a hardworking young man and began his work life at Colgate-Palmolive, later transitioning into sales and management with the Sears Automotive Department, and eventually into automotive sales. Wayne retired from John Jones Auto Group in 2000 after 17 years of dedicated service.

Wayne loved many things in his life; that home he built in his youth, gardening in his yard, his children, a good meal, but above all, he loved to use his “clicker” to flip between watching Fox News and ANY televised college basketball game. Although he faced much physical adversity in his later years, he predominantly lived independently, with little intervention, and never missing an NCAA March Madness game. He was a tough old bird.

Wayne was a Shriner and a Master Mason in the Masonic Lodge Clark 40 in Jeffersonville for over 50 years. He was very proud of his memberships in these fine organizations and made many friends there over the years.

Each of Wayne’s children devotedly cared for him in his final years. He is survived by his daughter, Pamela Shickles of New Albany, his son, Mark Shickles of Terre Haute, and his daughter, Rhonda Shickles McIntosh, also of New Albany (formerly of Marengo). He is also survived by one sister, Elena Faith of Sanford, Florida, and many loving nephews and nieces. Wayne was preceded in death by his father, William Shickle; mother, Rose Casey Smith; and four brothers and sisters, Marshall Shickle, Jacie McKim, Clara Mae Chambers, and Kenneth Shickle. Wayne “missed those old birds” frequently and is rejoicing at the gates of heaven to see them again.

Visitation will be held at Kraft Funeral Service, 708 E. Spring St., New Albany, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 from 4-8 p.m. and Wednesday, May 4, 2022 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. The funeral will be held in the Kraft Funeral Service Chapel at 1:00 p.m. with burial to follow at New Middletown United Methodist Church.

The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center, particularly those nurses in the Oncology Department who took great care of him during his two bouts with lung cancer, and his caretaker, Kiristin Scott, who spent many mornings with him in his final months.

Wayne will be fondly remembered by family and friends as a loving father, contagious laugher, unique dresser, staunch Republican, impatient patient, proud patriot and US Air Force veteran. Oh, how we will miss him.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kraftfuneralservice.net for the Shickles family.