Wayne D. Bertelsen

Wayne Douglas Bertelsen, age 85, of Jacksonville, NY passed away at home on October 4, 2022.

He was born on November 18, 1936 in San Francisco, California, son of Burt and Claire (Roberts) Bertelsen. After his mother remarried, they relocated to Medford, Oregon where Wayne graduated high school and came to love the Rogue River territory.

Wayne served his country in the US Army and traveled extensively prior to pursuing a Master’s degree in English and History. For many years he proudly worked for the San Francisco Municipal Railway as a streetcar driver and cable car grip man. He met Kris Grimes on the N Judah streetcar line and, after traveling together in Japan, across Siberia and into Europe, they married in Berea, Ohio in 1970.

Wayne was the consummate host and loved sharing his home city of San Francisco with visiting friends and relatives. When they moved to Jacksonville he continued in this role, sharing the beauty of upstate New York with guests. He was a student of history whose deep and extensive knowledge continually amazed anyone lucky enough to hear his retellings of historical events that occurred most anywhere in the world. Married to his love of words and acute sense of humor, this knowledge often led to imaginative and hysterical dialogues among Tatars, potentates and the occasional ferryman. He loved film and theatre, and he and Kris traveled frequently to Canada to take in the shows at Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto. Wayne finished his working career with the USPS in Ithaca as a rural mail carrier and made many friends along his route, retiring in 2012.

Wayne is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Kris; brother-in-law, Gary (Kris) Grimes; nieces Shannon Hawkes, Kim (David) McKenzie and Robin Wood;  nephew Travis Bertelsen; and Kris’s extended family of cousins. Wayne was predeceased by his parents; step-father Leon Close;  his brother Gerald Bertelsen; father-in-law Vince Grimes; and mother-in-law and great friend, Jane Grimes.

A memorial service will be held at the Jacksonville Community Church, 1869 Trumansburg Road, on Sunday, October 23 at 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks those that would like to make a contribution in Wayne’s memory to kindly consider SPCA of Tompkins Co., 1640 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.