Ira Wenger

Ira E. Wenger He had a never-ending thirst for knowledge, a witty sense of humor, and a love for fast cars, firearms and his family. Ira Eugene Wenger died March 16, 2017 in Houston. Born November 7, 1946, in Great Bend, Kan., to Fay L. Wenger and LaVerna Maxine Wenger (Turner), Ira attended Hill City High School in Hill City, Kan. He served in the United States Army from 1963 to 1972, specializing in cryptography and marksmanship. He had several careers in his life, following his military service. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was involved in design and manufacture of headers, wheels and other parts for high performance vehicles including Sprint and NASCAR, having worked with Weld Wheels, Custom Craft Headers, Circle Manufacturing and many others in the racing industry. He was always thrilled to see the blue and red circle on wheels he designed out on the road and in racing. He was the type of guy who could puzzle out a solution to just about any design problem. A skilled welder and machinist, he even helped transform the wheels for the first Bigfoot monster truck from old steel tractor wheels into a more durable aluminum racing design. In the mid-1990s he turned to another passion: golf. He worked at a series of courses at the Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., for about a decade before moving to Texas. He played every opportunity he could, and it showed. He was a scratch golfer even into his 60s. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Georgia Gaines and Jo Lynn Burger, and brother James Wenger. He is survived by sister Carol Dunegan and brother Robert Wenger; daughters Shelley Gordon and husband David, Wendy Reneé Perez and wife Raylynne, and Pamela Lynn Riemenschneider and husband Brian; granddaughter Aurora Patterson; and grandsons Todd Nichols, Ivar and Stellan Riemenschneider; and former spouses Betty Jane Raveill and Connie Wenger. In lieu of memorials, the family requests donations to your local animal rescue, as Ira never met a dog or cat he didn't love.